Immortal Society
by TeamCarlisle
Summary: Takes place after Harvest Moon. Questions remain about what The Volturi will do about Salvatore and Vincent. The Cullens are back in Minnesota
1. Normalcy

**Chapter 1**

"It feels so strange being back here," Esme said. She took in a long breath and plopped down on the couch.

Carlisle joined her, cuddling himself closer and slunk an arm across the top of the couch behind where she sat. He kissed her once on the cheek and reached for the remote. "This is most likely just a stepping stone."

"It's not really _bad_," she said, reassuringly. "Just strange is all." She stared up at the high ceiling, and then turned her attention to the television as it clicked on.

Carlisle looked her the eye and gave a half smile.

"I actually kind of like it so far," Esme went on, "I think Caleb and the rest of the kids are actually happy to be back in that school. He's been gushing about some of the boys he used to be friends with before we moved last time; the rest of them, too."

"It's nice to give them time to be social," Carlisle nodded.

"To be normal," she added.

He nodded again. "Yeah."

"They deserve it," Esme told him, "They deserve some normalcy. Since they've been born they haven't had a dull moment to just... be."

Carlisle tucked his arm around her shoulders a little tighter, "You're happy here?"

She looked at her husband and nodded. "Yes."

When he continued to stare with a hint of skepticism, Esme smiled and kissed him once. "I'm very happy, Carlisle," she reiterated. "I want to relax for the next ten years with you, and the kids and everyone else."

Carlisle sighed contently. "Me too." He leaned in and kissed her again before the front door swung open and loud chatter began to bounce off the walls of the house.

"We registered at school just in time for the winter dance," Mackenzie announced. "Can't wait."

"Too bad Nicole can't bring Salvatore," Caleb said back, "He'll eat the Winter Ball Queen."

"Ohhh, don't let her hear you say that."

"Really..." Delilah added, "Is that how you all used to talk about me?"

"A little." Caleb snickered and she swatted him in the arm loud enough for Carlisle and Esme to hear it.

"So much for relaxing," Carlisle said. He smiled and Esme returned the gesture, and then brought his face back to hers.

"I'll take this type of noise," she told him. "High school qualms, and human problems."

"Human..." His voice drifted.

Esme smiled at him, "You're more human than most humans. You're empathetic, caring, compassionate."

Carlisle smirked almost shyly and looked down.

"Not to mention modest," she continued, "And handsome."

"How about lucky?" he asked, taking in a breath, "Because that's what I am to have you."

Emmett slunk into the room and snickered aloud as he walked by. "Sorry."

Esme smiled wide and tossed a pillow at him.

"Oh, now you can't yell at us for doing that!" he said, grabbing the pillow from the floor. He tossed it back lightly and Esme laughed, catching it and hugging it to her body.

Carlisle grinned and shook his head, and then tossed Emmett the remote.

"Thanks." He settled comfortably into a chair next to the couch and shuffled through the stations until he found coverage for the Super Bowl. "Man," he smacked his lips, "We were just in the Seattle area... and then in New England... now we're in an area that probably doesn't care who wins." Emmett looked at Carlisle, "Couldn't we have waited until after the Super Bowl to move?"

"Who are you rooting for?" Esme asked him.

"Pssh, Seattle. That's our home land."

Esme smiled, "Yeah. Me too." She looked at Carlisle.

"I'll have to agree," he said.

"Plus Brady messed with those footballs against the Colts," Emmett added, "Everyone knows that... even Bill Nye the Science Guy, possibly the only man smarter than Carlisle on the face of the earth."

Carlisle and Esme both laughed and he shrugged. "You may be right."

"It should be a fun night," Esme said, "I wish we could prepare a bunch of goodies to pick on for Sunday."

"Well the private school is within walking distance," Emmett joked, "I'm sure the students and teachers there taste pretty good."

Carlisle gave him a look and Esme shook her head with a grin.

"Just kidding," he put his hands up, "Kind of..."

Esme snickered again and looked back at Carlisle. Her eyes were adoring and carefree.

"I have a good feeling about everything," she told him.

Carlisle smiled, "So do I."

"So do I," Emmett chimed in, downplaying their conversation with a grin, "A good feeling that Seattle is going to kick some ass."


	2. Folklore

**Chapter 2**

A light snow began to fall and lightly kissed the grounds of the small, posh school the kids had been reinstated in.

Delilah walked hand in hand with Caleb toward the main building and the two of them shared a smile as they crossed through the familiar territory.

"After you," he said, waving her in ahead of him.

"Thanks." She smiled and headed inside. "What a bummer that we only have one class together."

Caleb smiled as she pouted, though couldn't keep a small smirk from forming beneath the frown.

"Yeah..." He locked his fingers through hers again, "But at least its first period. And we have the same lunch wave."

"Caleb!" A young man's voice echoed off the high ceilings of the age-old building.

Caleb glanced over toward an elegant, winding stairwell as one of his old classmates waved a hand in their direction.

"Chris, what's up?" he asked, greeting the boy with a high-five.

"Nothing, man." Chris glanced at Delilah and smiled, "So, you're both back, huh?"

The two of them nodded and he eyed their linked hands.

"Still dating? Nice."

Caleb and Delilah laughed and acknowledged that his claims were true.

"New uniforms," Caleb toyed with the fabric of his jacket and raised his eyebrows.

"Hardly," Chris rolled his eyes, "Same bland style, but they had to get rid of the old ones."

"So, what classes do you have?" he asked, "We've only been here a week, but I haven't seen you."

"Oh, I'm taking a few of the AP classes. My parents are hoping I get into Harvard." Christ rolled his eyes, "I don't mind the idea but man, I kind of wanted at least a normal course load my senior year. Instead, I'm loaded."

Caleb shrugged, "Hey, maybe it'll get you rich some day."

"Maybe," he snickered. "I just dropped a drawing class that I wanted to take by the request, no wait demand, of my parents. So a few of my classes got switched up. Instead of drawing they made me add AP Statistics as if Calculus wasn't enough math for one year."

"So, what do you have first?"

"English Lit."

Caleb smirked and looked at Delilah.

"Looks like you're with us," she told him with a grin.

"You guys have Mr. Huntington?"

"_Dr_. Huntington" Delilah teased with a grin.

"Yes... _doctor,_" Chris corrected himself, "God forbid, right."

The three of them wandered down the old corridor, acknowledging several staff members with polite nods and came close to the end before rounding into one the last classrooms on the right-hand side of the hall.

Caleb and Delilah made their way to their seats furthest from the window near the back left, and Chris approached the teacher with a note from one of the guidance counselors explaining his situation.

"Very well." Dr. Huntington nodded his head once and motioned for him to choose a seat.

Chris headed toward and empty seat in between Caleb and a quiet girl with glasses and a ponytail. A moment later, the bell rang signaling the start of class and a few stray students scampered in, drawing a look of disapproval from the aging English teacher.

"Sorry," the boys said quietly as they slunk into their chairs.

Dr. Huntington closed the door behind them and made his way back in front of his desk at the head of the class.

"Today we're going to be starting a brief unit on American folklore," he explained, "It's our shortest unit of the year, and it's perhaps one of the more enjoyable among the student body, as I've experienced in the past anyway."

"What, like legends?" a boy across the room asked.

"Yes, Mr. DeAngelo, like legends."

His dry response made several of the students chuckle, and Caleb smirked to himself upon seeing the old man's mouth tip up in a grin that went unnoticed by the rest of the class.

"Who hear has heard of a place called Salem, Massachusetts?" Dr. Huntington asked.

Everyone in the room raised their hand, and there was low chatter amongst small clusters of students.

"Well," he went on, clearing his throat to regain the attention of the group, "We're going to start there."

Caleb squinted his eyes and leaned forward as tales of witchcraft, and inhumane men who used power to kill a number of innocent people. The stories were similar to that of his father's from London.

"You see," Dr. Huntington stated, "People saw evil where there was none. Innocent people died at the hands of power hungry men and women with political agendas."

Caleb nodded and glanced over at Delilah, who looked just as intrigued. He didn't know if she'd heard in depth about what his father went through, and his own transformation into vampirism.

_I wonder if he'd mind talking about it_, he wondered.

"So, you're saying that there were no actual witches?" a blond girl with dark eyeliner in the far corner asked.

"I'm afraid not," Dr. Huntington informed her. He let his hand trace over the top of a book on the desktop before scooping it up and holding it out for everyone to see. "We're going to be reading The Crucible." His eyes shifted toward a bookshelf behind where Caleb sat, and he pointed. "I'm going to have you get up by row. There are copies of the book on the third shelf down just behind where Mr. Cullen is sitting."

Caleb suddenly felt self-conscious as everyone's eyes were in direction.

"Each book has a number written on the inside cover. Once everyone has one, I'll call out your name and please tell me the number so I can record it. I know you're all dying for your own personal copy of The Crucible, but you'll have to seek one out at Barnes and Nobel if you'd like to keep it permanently."

A few students smiled at his attempt at a dull joke before Dr. Huntington motioned to Caleb's row. "This group may rise and get a copy."

Caleb smiled at Delilah and rose, grabbing himself a copy before their teacher proceeded to do the same with the rest of the class. He took his time asking for their book numbers before wrapping up the lesson.

"I'd like you to read pages one through twenty for homework. We'll be having a discussion in class tomorrow, so come prepared."

The same girl from the corner raised her hand, "So, you're saying there's no chance that witches and vampires and stuff exist?"

A few kids in the room laughed, and Dr. Huntington removed his eyeglasses with a smile. "I didn't say that."

The response made other chuckle lightly, and the old man smiled.

Caleb and Delilah exchanged a glance, smiling at their own private 'joke' before the bell rang, and released them to move on with the rest of the day.

"First twenty pages," their teacher said loudly, "Don't forget."

"What you got next?" Chris asked, hitting Caleb lightly on the arm as they exited the classroom.

"Um, Calculus." He made a face.

"Ouch, back to back zingers to start off the day." He grinned.

Caleb smiled back, "Makes for an easy afternoon though."

"Glass half full kinda guy." He laughed, "Nice. Well... it's good to see ya again man. Maybe I'll see you at lunch."

"Sure."

The two boys smiled at one another and parted ways before Caleb returned his attention to Delilah and scooped her up off the ground.

She began to laugh and he placed her back on her feet when a teacher walked by and gave him the evil eye.

"Sorry," Caleb said, before snickering lightly with Delilah.

"Folklore," she said, raising her eyebrows, "It seems Dr. H doesn't know that these creatures are right under his nose."

"Taking his class," he said back quietly with a grin. Caleb checked the halls for adults before sneaking in a kiss, "I'll see you at lunch."

"I love you," Delilah whispered.

He grinned. "I love you too."


	3. Family History

**Chapter 3**

Caleb crossed into the house, closing the door behind him with an echoing click as the school day came to an end. Delilah walked a few steps ahead of him with Mackenzie, Alex and Maddy. William and Michael had excused themselves to hunt upon pulling up the driveway. Nicole was the only one of the group who was not back in school. Salvatore felt, what he described as, nauseous at the idea of trying to sit through seven hours of classes with human blood all around him.

Mackenzie looked over her shoulder, "Didn't want to go hunting with the boys?"

He looked up at her. "Huh? Oh, no. I'm okay."

"We might have a snow day tomorrow," Alex said to her brother. "One week of school and already we have a day off."

Caleb shrugged, "Most people stay on campus. Why can't they just have it?"

"I think the entire study body might rebel on you if you ever bring up that notion to the principal," Delilah told him with a laugh.

"Really..." Alex added.

Caleb smirked and shrugged before ducking toward the staircase.

"Where you going?" Delilah asked him.

"I'll be down in a minute." He grinned and headed up the stairs toward his father's office.

Carlisle stood by a bookshelf with his hands in his pockets as he seemed to be searching for a book title. When Caleb entered the room, he glanced over his shoulder.

"Hey, Dad." Caleb walked up and scanned the books at his father's eye level. "What are you looking for?"

Carlisle glanced back at the shelf and returned his attention toward his son. "I was just looking for something to read to pass a little time. Nothing specific, just seeing if something caught my eye."

"Have you ever read The Crucible?"

Carlisle nodded, "Yeah."

"Did you enjoy it?"

He let out a sigh through his nose. "I thought it was a good piece of literature. Are you reading it in school?"

"Yeah." Caleb grinned, "We just got it today."

"Are you looking for a synopsis so you won't have to read it?" Carlisle joked with a laugh.

"No," his son laughed with him for a moment, "No, I was just wondering if you, um, if your experience as a human was at all similar to the Salem Witch Trials."

Carlisle's expression became slightly more serious and he seemed to be thinking of how to word things.

"It's okay if you'd rather not-" Caleb began, but Carlisle shook his head.

"No, you have a right to know everything Caleb," his father told him. "I... I would say there were a lot of similarities between my experience and everything I've read about Salem during that era. Times were a lot different then."

"Did innocent people die?"

Carlisle nodded. "Yes."

"So, would they have come for us back then?" Caleb went on, "Would they have tried to kill us for being... what we are?"

He cleared his throat, getting bits and pieces of the flashback of the night he was transformed. He heard his father's voice in his mind, but he was sure everything about it was off. By now he created what he thought his father might of sounded like back in the 1600's, but Carlisle knew the vivid nature of the memories had died off a long time ago.

"From my experience," Carlisle began, "People then, like now, didn't ever really come across people of our kind. They used either false speculation, or fuel from their own agendas to justify killing people."

"So they never found witches or vampires?" Caleb asked.

"No," Carlisle said, "Those they hung or burned at the stake who they claimed were witches were innocent human beings. There was no witchcraft in Salem... or London. People were killed for that there, too."

"So you say they never found vampires, either?"

"Well..." Carlisle thought for a moment, "My father, and the people who followed him, they thought they had. I was unwillingly part of that group, and to my knowledge I was the only one who discovered an actual coven living in the sewers beneath the city. They weren't quite like you or I. There was nothing civil or human about them."

"But they were immortal."

He nodded. "Yes. And they killed a lot of people the night I was changed."

"But you escaped."

"Barely." Carlisle subconsciously ran his palm across the back of his neck and down past the scar where he'd been bitten. "I managed to find refuge. By some luck there were no humans that came close enough during my transformation. I was able to leave town so I wouldn't hurt anybody."

"Do you think..." Caleb hesitated, "Do you think you would have if someone was nearby?"

He didn't answer right away, and Caleb apologized for asking the question.

Carlisle smiled, "Caleb, it's fine. Like I said, you have the right to know the truth about all of this... about everything." He paused again, "I honestly don't know the answer to that question. I'd like to think the answer would be no. But without guidance and the need for blood so strong, and virtually no knowledge of the reality of what I had become... I really don't know."

His son nodded. "So, uh, your father. He was one of the guys that was hunting vampires... but he had humans killed instead?"

Carlisle nodded back. "Yeah."

There was a silence that fell over the two of them before Caleb looked at him. "Well, for the record, you're a great dad."

He snickered. "Thank you."

"I mean it," Caleb went on, "You're nothing like that. You had like everything stacked against you and you made it... here."

The two of them looked around the room and Carlisle shrugged humbly and nodded. "We've been fortunate."

"Because of you." Caleb looked over his shoulder, "I mean, just by chance we could have been born into a family like The Volturi." He shuddered.

"Just because you're born into something, doesn't mean you have to follow," Carlisle told him.

"Well in my case, you're a leader worth following."

Carlisle waved for him to come over and the two of them shared a hug.

"And I know I can be a pain in the butt sometimes," Caleb told him, "And I've done some stupid things for... love, I guess."

"You're happy," Carlisle told him, "And it appears the risks you took were worth it. Things worked out."

"Yeah."

"Your brother and Leah might be taking a permanent leave of absence from Minnesota."

Caleb narrowed his eyes. "What? Why?"

"They want to be closer to Cassandra. Now, that we've come this far, they may jump over a state or two."

He made a face, but shrugged. "I guess that makes sense."

Carlisle nodded, "So, maybe we could try spending a little extra time with the two of them over the next week or so."

"Yeah, definitely."

He smiled, "How are you liking school?"

"I love it," Caleb told him, "I like being around people. It get so dull sometimes being cooped up in the house, or only associating with the same group of people."

"You can continue your education as far as you'd like."

He nodded. "I'd like to."

Carlisle smiled. "I'm proud of you, Caleb." He slung an arm over his shoulders and messed up his hair, "Let's go see what your mom has planned for an night with Masen and Leah."


	4. Immortal Society

**Chapter 4**

Caleb wandered out of his last class of the week, sighing as he hooked back up with Delilah by the winding staircase in the school's main building.

"Ready?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

She grinned and kissed him on the cheek before they were quickly accompanied by Chris from their English class.

"Hey, guys." He greeted the two of them with a smile.

"What's up?" the two of them asked at the same time.

"Um," Chris looked over his shoulder and then back to them, "Want to meet up tonight?"

Caleb and Delilah exchanged a glance and both of them shrugged. "Sure," Caleb answered.

"Cool," he replied quietly, "Some kids have really taken a liking to the unit we're doing in English."

"Yeah, it's not bad," Caleb agreed.

"Yeah..." His voice drifted, "So, last night a couple of us found handwritten journal type of thing that was stuffed inside an old yearbook."

His eyebrows raised and Delilah squinted her eyes with a smile.

"What old yearbook?"

"There's a section in the library," Chris informed them, "The yearbooks date back to the 60's. Me and some friends were bored and started rummaging through them." He paused.

"And..." Caleb asked.

"And the journal we found had some really cool stuff in it." He smiled, "It had to do with this so called 'Immortal Society'."

Caleb and Delilah exchanged another glance.

"Anyway, um, guess who's name we found in it?"

"Who's?" the two of them asked together.

Chris looked around and reached into his backpack, removing the journal he had been referencing. He skimmed through the pages, licking his fingers several times before finding the page he wanted.

"S. Huntington," he pointed out, motioning to a list of names that were members of the school's formerly discreet club.

Caleb arched his neck to see, and Delilah did the same.

"Huntington?" she asked. "Like Mr. Huntington... or Dr. Huntington, sorry."

Chris nodded, "Yeah, I think so." He smiled, "His first name is Sanderson. I saw it on my report card."

"So, what is this club?" Caleb asked, pressing his eyebrows together.

"Well," Chris said, "That's what we plan to find out."

"How?" Delilah asked.

"Tonight," he said, "We're going to meet up and... talk about it."

Caleb reached for the journal and Chris handed it over without question. He scanned through it, eyes reading every letter of every word. "So they were into, what, the supernatural? Witches?"

"Vampires... werewolves..." Chris added, still grinning, "Pretty cool right?" He laughed when Caleb and Delilah didn't initially respond, "I mean at best it'll cure our boredom, right? I don't have the luxury of staying off campus like you two."

Caleb broke the silence with a light laugh, though the slight discomfort of the topic shined through in his demeanor.

"So, what you say?" Chris asked, "Want to come? It's Friday night. No class tomorrow."

He nodded and looked at Delilah, who was as hesitant as he was.

Chris lowered his voice, "You're not scared are you?"

His words made Caleb more literally laugh out loud. "Hardly." _I've already come face to face with the most dangerous vampires in the world_, he thought.

"So, you're in then?"

Caleb sighed, feeling intrigued to see what others had to say, or think, of 'vampires' and other beings. "Yeah, man. Okay."

Delilah squeezed his hand and he glanced down at her.

"Oh, Delilah, of course you're invited, too. You know that right?" Chris asked.

She nodded and gave a closed-mouth smile.

"Where are you all meeting for this?" Caleb asked, "And who's going?"

Chris asked for the journal back by extending his hand and flipped to another page. "There's a map with directions to the place where they used to meet. We're going there." He paused, "And there are only a handful of people going. That girl Mary in our class, the blond gothic looking chick; she's going. A few others you'll probably recognize."

"Okay... cool."

"Where are you meeting to make the trip to this secret place?" Delilah asked.

"You guys will probably get caught sneaking out," Caleb teased his friend.

Chris snickered, "I hope not." He smiled, "Um, we're going to meet out behind the library and go from there."

"Cool." Caleb sighed and looked at Delilah.

"Oh, and bundle up," Chris told them, "It's going to be like twenty degrees tonight."

"Thanks," Delilah said to him, "We will." She looked up at Caleb.

Chris studied their expressions and then grinned to himself. "How long you two been together now?"

"A couple years," Caleb said, attempting to sound casual.

"Two and then some," Delilah corrected.

Chris and Caleb looked at each other and laughed.

"Women," Chris joked, drawing a laugh from Caleb.

A brief silence fell over the three of them before Caleb held his hand out for a high-five.

"Alright man," he said, "We'll meet you out behind the library tonight. What time?"

Chris looked at his watch out of habit, "Nine. Sound good?"

Caleb nodded, "Sure."

"See you then." He shoved the journal back into his bag and waved goodbye.

Delilah looked at Caleb. "Do you think this is a good idea?"

He shrugged, "What can go wrong?"

"They could discover we're vampires and then my ruthless great great great great great great great Uncle Caius will come and slaughter them... and then us."

"I'm not scare of Caius."

Delilah narrowed her eyes at him and Caleb snickered.

"Okay," he admitted, "Maybe a little bit."

She let a slow smile spread across her face and Caleb leaned his face down to kiss her.

"Go home kids." Dr. Huntington passed them by, smiling to himself as he did so and Caleb grinned.

"I like him," he said to Delilah.

"Maybe he was a vampire hunter in the 'Immortal Society'." She smirked, making Caleb do the same.

"Then we'll just have to -"

"Don't say it," she whispered, putting a hand over his lips.

Caleb laughed and latched his fingers with hers. "Let's go."


	5. Stregoni Benefici

**Chapter 5**

Caleb and Delilah did their best to bundle up and look as if the cold, winter air had the same effects on them as it did in their human counterparts.

He ripped a black hoodie down over his head and ten searched his closet for one of the winter coats he had.

Delilah did the same, tucking her dirty blond hair beneath a winter hat. She threw a matching scarf around her neck and then reached for a long, black jacket that she wore most days to school.

Caleb played with her hat, making Delilah grin.

"Ready?" He asked.

She held out her arm and Caleb slunk his through hers.

"Ready." Delilah smiled and they shared a kiss.

"Where are you two off to?" Carlisle asked, rounding into the short front corridor of the house. "And I'm guessing it's not hunting." He noted their human-like attire.

Caleb half-smiled. He had contemplated using that as an excuse but his father had inadvertently saved him from being caught in a white lie.

"No." He looked down at his warm, school clothes, "We're meeting up with some school friends on campus... if that's ok."

Carlisle recalled their conversation a few days earlier about Caleb's want to get in touch with more people.

He smiled. "Have fun."

The two of them smiled at him.

"What time should we expect you back?" Carlisle asked them.

Caleb and Delilah looked at each other before he answered with a shrug. "Before midnight." He anticipated having to elaborate but His father simply nodded.

"Okay." He gave a wave and Caleb lead the way out the door, towing Delilah behind him by the hand.

The two of them trekked through the snowy landscape and slowed the pace once they crossed into the school's campus. A security team of two drove down the main driveway in a golf cart, apparently making their rounds to assure the school grounds were safe and secure.

Caleb kept Delilah behind him, hanging back in the shadows of the woods line until the two men passed.

"Rent-a-cops to the rescue," she joked, "I feel like a criminal."

Caleb laughed lightly, "We're like Bonnie and Clyde."

"Kind of sexy, isn't it?"

He laughed again and kissed her before motioning for her to follow him.

The two of them scampered across campus in a stealthy fashion until they reached their destination behind the library.

Chris and a few others from their English class stood looking cold, yet excited.

"Hey guys!" Chris greeted with a grin. He held the book with these in one hand.

"This is Mary from class," he said, motioning to the pale, blonde girl with the dramatically dark eye-liner. "And Mitch and Donny."

They all waved and Mary shivered, bending her knees as she did.

"Caleb." He waved.

"Delilah." She smiled politely.

"Ready to go?" Chris asked all of them.

There was a combination of nods, yesses and teeth chattering before Chris blew warm air into his palms.

"Okay," he said with an exuberant grin, "Let's see where this map leads us."

Their group walked for about fifteen minutes before they reached their destination. To the humans it must have felt like hours, as they were all breathing heavy and commenting regularly about the cold weather.

To Caleb and Delilah, the walk was rather dull at the slow, almost crawling pace they used to hike through a trail in the woods. They both knew they could have traveled the half-mile or so it took to reach the fateful "X" on the map in less than thirty-seconds. However, there was a slight thrill in the anticipation of reaching their destination.

Delilah pretended to shiver and Caleb rubbed her back gently. "I think we're here, Del."

The six of them stared at a large collection of boulders that appeared to harbor a cave. Initially no one moved, and Caleb would have betted that all of their classmates were scared to go in. He wished for a moment he had Edward's ability to read their minds.

_I bet they're wondering if it's possible that an age-old vampire lives in here, or maybe a pack of wolves._ Caleb grinned to himself. _Or even something more rational as a hibernating bear... or bats._

"So..." Mitch spoke up for the first time, "Who's going in first." He laughed and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and tossed the hood on his jacket up over his head.

Mary smiled and looked at him.

"Ladies first?" he teased.

"Um, no thanks." She looked at the Delilah and the girls shared a quiet laugh.

Caleb clicked on a tiny flashlight he'd brought, prompting Chris to do the same. The two of them shined it into the opening of the cave and then exchanged a glance.

"What if there's an animal in there or something," Donny asked. He made a face.

"Yeah, like a bear that's ready to eat all of us," Mary added.

Caleb took in a deep breath through his nose. Right away he knew there were no animals in the cave, or in the immediate area surrounding where they stood. He didn't have a logical explanation to try explaining to his friends that the cost was clear, and so he decide to take on the brave, leadership role and go in first.

"Caleb, wait..." Chris sounded hesitant for the first time. "What if Donny's right? What if something's living in there?"

Caleb looked around at the dimly faces of all everybody. Delilah was the only one who didn't appear nervous, for obvious reasons.

He grinned and raised his eyebrows, "There's only one way to find out."

Chris reached for his arm as he went to enter the place and Caleb continued to smile.

"We didn't come all this way to just turn around and go home, did we?" Caleb asked. "Come on, I'll go first."

Chris made eye contact with Mary, who in turn looked to Mitch and Donny.

Delilah took a deep breath and took a step toward the cave, "I guess we _have_ come all this way." She did her best to keep her voice shaky.

Caleb reached back for her hand and the rest of the boys seemed as though they didn't want to be shown up by a girl. In turn, they followed, prompting Mary to pack herself in the middle of the group to avoid being left alone out in the cold.

Caleb continued to shine his light ahead. He noted there was a drop with a collection of stones that lead the way down into small pit as a type of stairwell.

"It drops off," he told everyone, looking back for a moment, "But there are big rocks here that kind of make stairs to head down."

Almost immediately he heard the heartbeats of classmates pick up, and their nervous sighs seemed to echo off the walls of stone that surrounded them.

"This is... kind of cool," Delilah commented.

Chris stayed behind the two of them and shined his light around the small 'room' in which they'd all entered.

"Stops here," Caleb said. "We've got about, what, ten square feet in here?"

"About the size of a dorm room on campus," Mitch joked with a laugh. He was the only one who had lightened up just slightly.

Chris shined his light above them. "Just checking for vampire bats." He let a slow smile spread across his face and looked at Mary.

"That's not all funny." She told him.

"What's that?" Donny asked, catching a glimpse of something in the far corner of the place when the light hit it.

"What?" Mary's voice as shrill and scared, but Donny chuckled.

"It's like a small stack of books, or something," he said calmly, "Don't worry, Mary. It's not like it's a snake or something."

She sighed. "Ughh... I wasn't even thinking about snakes until you said that."

Caleb laughed lightly. "I doubt there's anything like that in here." He shined the light all around, "No place they'd be hiding really."

"That's comforting," Mary said dryly.

Chris made his way to the back where his friend had spotted the books.

"Looks like more hand-written logs, or something," he said, picking up the first one.

Caleb joined him and everyone else piled together, arching their necks to see what the book entailed.

"These are like..." Chris looked for the words to finish his sentence.

"Scary stories," Caleb finished. He looked at Delilah, who made a mockingly scared face that made him grin.

"Witches... vampires... werewolves..." Chris said.

"Oh, my!" Mitch said with a laugh, quoting The Wizrard of Oz.

Delilah chuckled and looked back him.

"What if this stuff is real?" Chris asked aloud, to no one in particular.

_Doubt it_, Caleb thought to himself.

Chris licked his fingers and thumbed through the book. He turned around and everyone backed off a little, settling themselves on some of the flatter rocks in the area.

"This one's a tale about a good vampire," Chris said. He pointed to the wording.

"There's such thing as good vampires?" Mary asked, rolling her eyes. "Don't they all just want humans for their blood?"

Chris's lips moved as he read the first page of the passage, drawing his index finger along the neatly printed words. "Stregoni Benefici," he said aloud.

Caleb's head snapped in his friend's direction. He knew the legend to be true because it was quite literally written about his father.

Delilah looked at him and put her hand gently on his forearm.

"What's that mean?" Mary asked.

"A good vampire," Chris went on, "It's Italian."

For the first time, Caleb felt anxious and he looked at Delilah. He couldn't help thinking, _maybe there's more to this Immortal Society than I thought._


	6. Doctor

**Chapter 6**

Carlisle sat across from Alex at the island in the center of the kitchen. Between them was a chess board and she kept smiling as Carlisle pretended to find difficulty in responding to each of her moves.

Alex propped her elbow onto the table and rested her chin her hand. "I know you know the best move, Dad." She laughed lightly, and Carlisle snickered.

"I'm deciding," he explained, finally moving a pawn up one space on the board.

The doorbell rang and Emmett called extra loudly throughout the house, "I got it!"

Carlisle and Alex both gave a little laugh and continued with their game.

Esme crossed into the kitchen and smiled to herself upon seeing her husband and daughter engaged in their chess game. She passed by Alex and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, whispering, "Beat him," in her ear.

Alex smiled and looked at her mother, "I think he's letting me win."

Carlisle laughed, "I'm not."

"Yo!" Emmett whipped into the room. He used his thumb to point over his shoulder, "Someone's here to see you."

Carlisle raised his eyebrows. "Me?"

Emmett nodded. "Doctor Martin?"

He thought for a moment, "From the local hospital?"

"Said you two used to work together."

Esme looked at Carlisle, and he stared back for a moment before standing up from where he sat.

"Alex, I'll be right back," he said, tapping the table with his hand.

"Okay." She looked over her should at Emmett.

"Don't cheat," he teased with a grin, prompting a chuckle from Carlisle as he headed toward the front door.

His old co-worker stood a step inside of the door by the front entryway, taking in the decadent nature of the house. He scanned the high ceilings and marble floors, before making eye contact with Carlisle as he approached him.

"Dr. Cullen." The man smiled and held a hand out in front of him. "I apologize for stopping by without warning."

"That's quite alright." Carlisle shook his hand. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, my son informed me that your family moved back into town," Dr. Martin explained, "He has classes with your nephew Caleb."

It had been so long since they'd had to pretend, and so the reference to Caleb as his nephew caught him off-guard for a half-a-second.

"Right... right..." He nodded.

"The reason I'm here," the man went on, "Is because we're looking to add a surgeon to our staff. Legally we have to post the position, but I'd like to offer it to you... off the record."

Carlisle raised his eyebrows. The thought of working again made him crack a smile. The only reason he'd left the job here was because they'd been forced to leave.

"I, uh," he cleared his throat and hesitated, though he wanted to shake hands and make a verbal agreement right there.

"Think about it," Dr. Martin said to him. He shrugged. "Speak with your wife; whoever. I just remember the first time around when you were hired. The references from Forks Hospital spoke so highly of you, and your short time with us was nothing but pleasant. It'll save us resources by not having to go out searching for something that we already have right here."

Carlisle nodded, and Esme joined abruptly joined them by the door.

"Hello," she said with a smile, "I'm Esme Cullen." She extended a hand, and Dr. Martin smiled at her, returning the gesture. "I couldn't help but overhear the end of your conversation, and there is no conversation necessary when it comes to me." She smiled and looked at Carlisle, "If you'd like to work again, take the offer."

He grinned and let out a snicker.

Dr. Martin waited with his hands folded and seemed to be thinking that things were going the way he had planned.

"Um..." Carlisle couldn't keep a smile from his face, and then looked back at Dr. Martin, "I'd be happy to work there again."

"Great." He nodded once, "We'll have to schedule an interview, though I'll be up front. It'll more or less be setting up an office for you so you can resume work as soon as possible."

"Excellent."

"And this conversation," Dr. Martin added, "Never happened. I still have to bring in one or two people to interview. Legality," he said again.

"I understand." Carlisle shook his hand again, "Thank you for thinking of me."

"I'll call you to set up a time after I look at my calendar."

"Sounds good."

"Would you like to stay for a cup of coffee?" Esme asked him.

"Oh, I've got to pick up my boy my the school library," he explained, "But thank you Mrs. Cullen."

She smiled politely and the man gave a wave before seeing himself out the front door.

Carlisle waited a moment before closing the door and then turned to Esme.

"We could have talked about this," he said with a smile.

Esme grabbed the bottom half of his face with her hand and planted a single kiss on his lips. "Do you want to work?"

Carlisle smiled. "Yeah."

"Then there's nothing to talk about." She grinned back and kissed him again.

"You don't want me twenty-four hours a day?" he teased, wrapping his arms around her with a laugh.

"Oh, I do." Esme giggled, "But I don't want you getting bored of me."

Carlisle kissed her again and then strung a few more up to her ear. "Never."

She laughed and pulled him to her again. "Are you happy?"

"I'm always happy." Carlisle kissed her again and felt his back lightly hit the front door. He snickered.

"Happy to be back working as a doctor?" Esme rested her hands on his chest and looked up at him.

He nodded and locked his hands loosely around her waist. "It'll be nice to get back to the hospital."

Esme smiled and perched herself up onto her toes to kiss him again.

He played with her hair for a moment and then kissed her forehead.

"Come on." Esme backed away and towed him by the hand, "Your daughter is waiting to beat you at chess."


	7. It's A Date

**Chapter 7**

Mackenzie laid in the center of her bed and sighed. She'd finished her homework, watched a little television and now boredom was sinking in. Since Nicole and Salvatore had been spending most of their time together, her partner-in-crime had been taken away.

Laughter trickled in through her open doorway, and Caleb and Delilah walked by talking about whatever had happened during their day at school.

She glanced to her left, making eye contact with both of them, one after the other, before returning her stare to the swirling patterns in the ceiling.

"Mac." Caleb pulled Delilah by the hand into the room. "What's up? What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She gave a closed-mouth smile. "Just bored."

He leapt onto her bed, and Mackenzie began to laugh.

"It sucks that Nicole doesn't go to school with us," she said, shaking her head.

"I know," Caleb nodded, "Now that she's with mini Aro..."

Mackenzie chuckled. "He _is_ kind of hot for being the son of Aro."

Delilah nodded and Caleb gave a her a joking look of disapproval before he cracked a grin.

"He's not ugly," Delilah said with a laugh, "Is all I'm saying."

"He's kind of like your cousin," Caleb teased.

"What?" she made a face.

"Caius... Aro... aren't they brothers?"

"Not by _blood_," Delilah told him, emphasizing the last word.

"I'm happy for her," Mackenzie said, "They went through quite an ordeal to be together." She raised her eyes to meet Caleb's, "Just like you two did."

"Why does love always include blazing fire and near-death experiences?" Caleb asked. He laughed, but was serious.

"That's what happens when you mingle with Volturi." She looked at Delilah and raised her eyebrows with a grin.

"Hey, I've never really been Volturi," she laughed, defending herself.

"But you _did _try to play me," Caleb reminded her, leaning back on his elbows.

"You were doing the same thing," Delilah reminded him.

"Yeah, that had a _How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days _feel," Mackenzie joked, "Only with darker undertones to it..."

"Think they're coming for us?" Caleb asked. He shifted his gaze between the two girls.

"Alice would tell us," Delilah said.

"Not if she can't see them coming," Mackenzie added, "Because of Vincent's shield."

"Right..." she nodded once and spaced out for a moment.

"Let's not think about it." She sighed.

"Why don't you hang out with us tonight?" Caleb suggested. He looked out the window.

"What are you guys up to?" Mackenzie asked him.

He looked at Delilah and they shared a grin.

"What?" she urged.

It had been one week since the two of them had gone to the 'Immortal Society' meeting and they had plans to meet up again that night. English class had proved to be everyone's favorite class, as they used a little imagination to tie the two to things together. Chris had been chomping at the bit to confront their teacher with the information they'd learned about his teenage days and the society logs.

"We're meeting with some friends from school," Caleb explained.

"What's the catch?" Mackenzie eyed him, "I feel like there's something sneaky involved just by the look on your face."

Caleb laughed, "Okay, you're right."

"What is it?"

"It's nothing bad," he went on, "We discovered that our English teacher used to kind of search for vampires and witches and stuff... or at least he used to meet with a group of other kids and they'd talk about it; research it."

Mackenzie raised her eyebrows. "Okay..."

"Anyway," Caleb continued, "They used to have this 'immortal society' thing. We found a map last Friday night and followed it to this cave-like place."

"Why does this sound like a really bad idea?"

"They have no idea what we are," he assured her, "I don't think any of them really believe this stuff." Caleb smiled at Delilah, "If they only knew."

"What if one of them gets curious and digs a little deeper?" Mackenzie asked him.

Caleb gave her a look, and then shrugged. "What are they going to do? Claim we're vampires?" He laughed, "As far as they're concerned, vampires can't be out in the sunlight and die by a stake through the heart."

Mackenzie couldn't help but smile.

"Come with us," he urged, "It's all in good fun. I get a kick out of it, and the kids are all pretty cool."

She sighed and nodded. "Alright," she agreed, "I need some low-key excitement in my life."

"They, uh, we did find something in one of the journals," Caleb confessed. "It had something about Stregoni Benefici."

Mackenzie pressed her eyebrows together and thought for a moment before the light bulb went off in her mind. "Wait... like your dad?"

He nodded.

"And you still think this is a good idea?" Mackenzie looked at him, "There's not a picture of him or anything is there?"

"No." He shook his head, "Just stories... the same ones you find on the internet nowadays."

"They seem to think it's impossible for a vampire to be good," Delilah said.

Mackenzie repeated Caleb's phrase, "If they only knew." She snickered, "Your dad just started working as a doctor again. I'd love to see them wrap their heads around that one."

"At the very least you'll get some laughs out of it," Caleb told her. "Come on. It'll be fun."

She sighed and nodded. "Okay. Yeah, I'll go."

"Don't let me twist your arm."

Mackenzie laughed lightly, "No, it sounds fun." She stood up from the bed, "Let me just get myself together."

Caleb popped up and quickly swept Delilah off her feet and into his arms.

"We'll probably leave in a half hour," he explained, "Take your time and head down the hall to our room."

"Oh, it's _both_ of yours room now?" Mackenzie asked with a grin.

Delilah giggled and looked at Caleb.

"I thought your parents axed that."

"They tried," he explained with a smile. "But..." he shrugged.

Mackenzie shook her head. "You're such a little trouble maker, Caleb."

"He's dangerous," Delilah said, "That's what attracted me to him in the first place."

Mackenzie laughed and Caleb grinned. "Mr. Dangerous," she rolled her eyes and then nudged Caleb in the arm.

"Half hour?" he asked.

"It's a date," Mackenzie joked.

The two of them smiled and Caleb whisked Delilah out of the room.

Mackenzie stared at the open door before shaking her head and smiling. There was a small part of her that thought something could go wrong with this society, particularly because of the accuracy of the information with Carlisle. However, she knew thought to herself that that chance was minimal and her new Friday night plans kind of sounded fun. With that, she searched her closet for some warm clothes and got ready to go out with Caleb and Delilah.


	8. Come On Over

**Chapter 8**

Carlisle entered the house upon his first day back at the hospital. He'd completed a twelve hour shift, and Esme eagerly greeted him by the door.

"How did it go?" Her face glowed with a big smile that made Carlisle feel good inside.

"Great," he confessed, smiling back.

Esme pulled his face to hers for a quick kiss. "Great!" she said back.

Carlisle snickered and kissed her again. "It feels good to be back."

"I'm glad." She slipped her arm through his as they wandered through the house.

He looked upward toward the high ceilings and a guilty sigh left his mouth, accompanied by a smirk.

"What?" Esme felt a similar expression take over her face. "What aren't you telling me?"

Carlisle laughed lightly. "Part of the condition of my re-hiring was that we have a party in this huge house of ours... for the doctors, nurses, staff..."

Esme raised her eyebrows. "That was in the contract, huh?"

He smiled again and looked at her with the expression of that of a child asking for permission to have his friends over. Esme couldn't help but chuckle.

"That's fine," she agreed with a shrug, "It'll give me an excuse to cook, and I'm sure Alice-"

"A party?" Alice scampered into the room, "I kind of saw this little conversation in advance and I only paid attention because my name was in it." She grinned, "I'd love to help fancy this place up a bit for a doctor party."

Carlisle laughed at the way she referred to the possible get-together. "I'm not so sure _this_ place could get fancied up." He took in their surroundings again.

Alice placed a hand lightly on his shoulder. "Oh, you have no idea what we can do. This is going to be a cocktail party for the ages."

"Great." Carlisle continued to grin, and let his unenthusiastic feelings shine through in the way he said the one word.

Esme smiled at him. "We'll have some fun with these people."

"As long as Salvatore doesn't try to eat them, we should be fine," Alice said jokingly.

Carlisle sighed and looked at her.

"I'll have the kids take him out hunting, or just out _somewhere_," she assured both of them.

"Thank you Alice," Esme grinned and then nudged Carlisle, "So when is this party going to take place?"

"I have to work out the details with a few of the guys at work."

Alice began to laugh to herself and Carlisle and Esme looked at her.

"I'm sorry." She put a hand up, "I just had visions of a_ very_ jealous Rosalie over some cougar nurses that want a piece of Emmett."

The two of them began to chuckle.

"Okay," Alice said, "That's my two cents for the day." She wiggled her fingers in a goodbye wave and disappeared.

"Is this okay?" Carlisle asked, looking at Esme.

"Of course," she told him with a nod. "We'll have some fun with it."

He leaned in and kissed her again. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Esme played with his tie for a moment as they stood close together.

"Where are the kids?"

"School," she explained, "With the same group of friends as last week. Caleb, Delilah and Mackenzie."

Carlisle nodded, "I wonder what they do over there?"

Esme shrugged, "It's Friday night. Probably just some typical human stuff."

_._._

The small group of teenagers sat together closely in the cave that was illuminated only by candles. Chris read from a page in the handwritten book, prompting them all to glance at one another and share a few smiles.

"The vampire will sink its fangs into its chosen victim, draining him of his blood and killing him almost instantly." He looked up at everyone, "I think that's a given."

"What does it say if a person is just... bit?" Caleb asked, curious as to what was written.

Chris moved his lips as he scanned the page before flipping to the next one. His finger traced a line in the journal. "If someone gets bit then they turn into a vampire too."

"And they can't go out during the day right?" Mackenzie looked at Caleb and the two of them shared a smile.

"Isn't that the number one rule?" Donny asked.

"Aside from drinking blood," Chris said matter-of-factly.

"And a stake through the heart kills them right?" Caleb pressed on.

"That's the legend," Mary said, purposely lowering her voice to sound spooky. She grinned, "But I don't think they can be killed at all."

"Daylight," Donny went on.

"Nope," she shook her head, "They're immortal creatures of the night. I think they don't _like_ the sunlight, but I don't think it kills them."

"Ohhhh," Chris said, "A twist on the age-old legends."

Mary grinned, "Just my opinion." She reached in the pocket of her jeans and pulled out a single cigarette and a lighter.

"You smoke?" Chris asked her.

"On occasion," she replied without looking up as she lit the stick of tobacco.

Caleb and Delilah exchanged a glance, both smiling. He pulled her closer and looked at his friend.

"I think they can go out in the sunlight too," he said, "In fact maybe there's one or two at this school."

Mackenzie and Delilah both stared at him, though he continued to smirk.

"I think our English teacher might be one," Caleb concluded, prompting laughter from the rest of them.

"On that theory..." Mary sighed and puffed a small cloud of smoke into the air, "One of us could be one right here."

"It would definitely be you," Donny teased with a laugh, "You're pale. You wear dark eyeliner."

"Shut up." She began to laugh, and then cleared her throat. "God, I'd love to be one."

Delilah's hand squeezed the top of Caleb's knee and he looked across the way at Mackenzie who was attempting not to smirk.

"I'm kind of intrigued by this good vampire," Chris said, flipping through the journal, "I mean what if it's true. What if there was a vampire back in the day who didn't want to be one and he kind of protected humans instead of making them his meal?"

"Yeah, how would he survive?" Mary asked, "By eating fried chicken?"

Caleb snickered and shook his head.

"Maybe he just turned people into vampires by sucking _most_ of their blood," Chris suggested. He closed the book and laughed, "I don't know."

They all sat for a few seconds in silence before Chris looked at Caleb.

"So I hear there's going to be some 'parent party' at your house."

Caleb straightened up. "What do you mean?"

"Your dad's at the hospital where my dad works now," he went on, "They're having some shindig at your place."

"Really?"

"Yeah." He nodded.

"You guys should come by then, too," Caleb said, "We can take over the swimming pool."

"Dude, it's like twenty degrees," Donny reminded him.

"Indoor pool," Mackenzie informed them.

Mary chuckled, "How rich are you guys?"

They all exchanged glances with one another, though no one said anything.

"You want to come swimming or what?" Mackenzie finally asked with a smile.

Their classmates looked for approval in each other's expressions before Chris was the first to nod.

"Hell yeah," he said.

"Okay," Caleb said with a shrug, "You can all come."

"It's okay with your parents?" Mary asked.

He nodded, "I don't see why it shouldn't be." _My dad is the good vampire, after all._ A smile decorated Caleb's face. _You wanted an immortal society... you found it._


	9. Meanwhile In Italy

**Chapter 9**

"I still say we bring Delilah back here." Caius folded his hands and wore an angry scowl. "She's got the ability to track, and we've done nothing with it."

"How do you suggest we proposition that?" Marcus asked, through a quiet raspy voice.

A glare lingered in his eyes, and he didn't directly answer the question. "Why did we just let her go?" He shook his head, "For all of time I've tracked my bloodline and the last living member is with a Cullen boy." He was rattling off ideas that might make sense.

"Aro will return soon. We can bring this up to his attention."

Caius looked at his brother. "We have to locate them. Salvatore turned on his own brother."

Marcus kept his expression bland and melancholy. "It's amazing what our kind do for love."

He sneered and closed his eyes in a bout of frustration. "Our rule has not be effective since the arrival of Bella and the child." _Maybe we should just take them out._

"What do you suggest?"

"We should make a trip west; to the pacific coast of the United States."

"Their coven no longer resides there."

"But the werewolves..." Caius raised his eyebrows without feeling the need to finish his sentence, "Their loyalty to that tribe, or whatever they call themselves, is as a deep as any other."

Marcus repeated his previous question, "What it is you suggest, brother?"

"They could lead us to the Cullens where we can carry out some form of justice. Amun's coven is still in debt to us." He took in a deep breath through his nose, "They owe us their lives. We could use a form of leverage to find their whereabouts."

"How?"

"The werewolves lead us to the Cullens... we capture Alice's daughter." Caius grinned as the plan unfolded in his mind, "We hold her as leverage until Alice tells us where the Egyptian coven is hiding. She must know based on her visions."

"And if she isn't telling the truth?"

"Aro will know," Caius assured him. "We'll hold the girl until we capture Amun; or until he is dead. Salvatore would oblige to whatever we ask of him if we have her with us, also."

Marcus let his eyes drop to the floor. "The Egyptians must know justice."

"Indeed."

Marcus rose from his seated position, "Do we leave now? Or do we wait?"

Caius could see his enthusiasm, and knew the moments were few and far in between. He wasn't sure if Marcus was interested in justice or bored having been in the underground mansion for months on end. Either way, he decided to take advantage of his demeanor.

"We leave now."

Marcus nodded and slowly made his way across the room, reaching for a piece of paper and a feather pen that the three of them still preferred to use over the modern-day writing utensils.

"I'll let Aro know of our plans."

Caius nodded, "I'll make my way to the tower to inform Sulpicia, as well."

"We you return, we'll begin our journey."

He nodded a second time and wandered away, climbing the tower where he and Aro's wives stayed.

Athenodora felt his presence and whisked out of the room where she commonly resided. "Yes, Caius?" Despite their somewhat estranged relationship, she was always happy to see him.

Caius smirked at his bride and leaned in for a kiss. "I'd like to just pass a message to Sulpicia."

The two of them looked to the side as Aro's bride crept into the dark hallway where they stood. Her cold, dark stare was complimented by an elegant black dress that hung to the floor.

"Speak your message, Caius."

"Marcus and I are making a trip west. We have ways to discover the Cullens location. We've left a message for Aro, but if you could reinforce it that would be of much help."

"And my son?" she asked, "Salvatore?"

"We'll escort him back to Italy if all goes to plan."

"If all goes to plan?" Sulpicia hissed the words. "I _want_ my son back."

"And you shall get your wish." Caius' voice hardened a bit, "Though this conversation is a waste of valuable time that could be made gaining ground."

"I don't care what he's done," she went on, "I don't want his life looked at as a comparable measure."

"We'll bring him back," Caius assured her.

"And the catch?" Sulpicia wore a look that would have terrified the most bold human man on the planet. She put her hands on her hips and stared into Caius' eyes, "There is a curveball to be thrown, I suspect."

"He will return with his... mate." The last word left his mouth in disbelief and disgust.

"Good."

Caius was taken off-guard by her response and eyed her suspiciously.

"I'd like to see who has stolen Salvatore's heart," Sulpicia said, "So much so that he would cause a riff between himself and Vincent."

"The faster we get them back here, the faster we'll have answers," Caius explained.

He and Sulpicia continued their stare down before she released him from the tense position he stood in.

"Don't return empty handed," she replied, "I'll tell Aro of your plans."

Athenodora leaned into her husband, not overwhelmed in the least by the situation. "Happy hunting." She kissed him again and Caius smiled. The confidence she held in him oozed out of her; a product of centuries of success in his field. She had no fear for her husband's well-being.

"Thank you, love." Caius winked; a rare moment of debonairism from the tyrant of the vampire community. It was a trait that he only showed to his wife, and simultaneously she was the only one who was captivated by his rare charming demeanor.

Sulpicia excuse herself, though let her message echo off the walls of the tower. "Returning empty handed is not an option."

Caius smirked to himself and left, hurrying back to Marcus who was waiting patiently by an open door that led to the exit of their home.

"Shall we?" his brother asked, lifting a hand toward the doorway.

"We shall."

The pair left the mansion, whisked out of Italy and prepared for their journey across the Atlantic.


	10. Cocktail Party

**Chapter 10**

"Hello!" Alice greeted with a big smile in a bubbly tone. She extended an arm out and allowed the guests inside. "Can I take your coats?" She had taken it upon herself to be the 'meet and greet' hostess for the evening while all of Carlisle's new colleagues paraded wide-eyed into the massive estate they called home.

A middle-aged couple entered the home, and the man stared at Alice open-mouthed as she continued to grin from ear to ear.

"Your coat?" she asked again.

"Oh..." He slipped his arms out of the knee length jacket that clung nearly to the length of his body. "Thank you." The man turned, taking his wife's jacket next and handed it over to Alice.

The two of them eyed the ceilings as if they had just entered some museum, or one of Newport mansions. For an extra couple of seconds they stood in the doorway, looking star-struck or even frightening to move from where they stood.

"If you go to the right," Alice began with a pause as her soft, perky voice made both of them jump simultaneously as they were snapped out of the daze. She held back a giggle, "The party is that way. Your coats will be in this closet when you leave."

The man cleared his throat and nodded, "Thank you..." His eyes appeared as if they were searching for a nametag.

"Alice," she held out a hand, "Alice Hale."

"Alice." The man nodded before proceeding into the house without stating his own name.

When the two of them were around the corner, Alice laughed to herself and stood up strait with her fingers interlocked in front of her as she awaited the next set of guests.

The extra large dining room, coupled with the kitchen, was set up to look like an upscale lounge. Alice set up a collection of low lights in the shades of pinks and purples that danced off the walls and marble floors in the intimate, dim lighting. It wasn't a shock that many of the guests wore the same, mesmerized expressions as the high school students from Forks when they all were welcomed into the Cullen home for the first time.

"Dr. Cullen." Dr. Martin made his way through the crowd of people and the two men shook hands.

"Carlisle," he said casually.

"Well in that case you can call me Franklin," he said, sipping on the small glass of scotch he held in his left hand.

"And you know my wife, Esme from the day you stopped over."

Esme smiled and extended her hand. "It's nice to more formally meet you," she said.

"Likewise." He grinned and arched his neck, looking around the room. "My wife is mingling somewhere," he assured them with a laugh before eventually spotting her accepting hors d'oeuvres from Emmett, who insisted on overplaying the catering routine.

"Who's the big guy over there?" Franklin asked, raising one eyebrow as he saw his wife laughing at something Emmett had said.

"That's our older nephew," Esme explained, "Emmett."

"He's Caleb's brother then?"

Carlisle and Esme looked at each other and nodded. "Yes," they said at the same time.

"Is he in college? He looks like a professional athlete."

Carlisle began to chuckle, "He has a degree already."

"The school is always in need of coaches," Franklin went on, "He must've played football." He eyed Carlisle, but wasn't looking for a response, "They pay the coaching staff well over there. He could probably get at least six or seven grand for being an assistant."

"I'll talk with him," he said to appease his co-worker, "He may be interested."

He nodded and took a small sip of his drink again, keeping an eye out for his wife until she migrated away from Emmett.

"Emmett's wife is here somewhere," Esme said, attempting to ease the man's thoughts.

"Oh, he's married?" Franklin smiled, letting his mild jealousy subside with a more relaxed smile.

"Yes." She nodded, grinning as she did.

Rosalie overheard their conversation from where ever she had been and made her way into the conversation.

"Here's the bride now," Carlisle teased, making Rosalie grin at him.

Franklin's eyes widened, and he attempted not to stare.

"Oh, were you talking about me?" Rosalie pretended to be shocked and then eagerly flashed her wedding ring, "Yes, newlyweds." She smiled at Franklin, "I'm Rosalie."

"Franklin," he nodded politely, "Congratulations."

"Thank you." She gushed as if she and Emmett actually had recently wed.

Alice entered the room, waving toward Carlisle for a moment; her hand barely visible above the group of people.

"Oh, excuse me a moment," Carlisle said. He gave a half-smile to Esme and nodded to Franklin, "I'll be right back."

"Take your time." Franklin smiled and then turned his attention to the two women before him.

Carlisle crossed the room, letting out a deep breath as he reached Alice. "Is something wrong?"

She shook her head, "No. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry."

He let out a relieved sigh and then smiled, "What is it?"

"The kids aren't attending the party, are they?" Alice asked him, "Meaning, Caleb, Alex, Mackenzie, William... all of them."

Carlisle shook his head, "I think they're at the pool. Why?" He could see Alice's look of concern. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm just worried about Nicole," she admitted, "She and Salvatore are out and about nearby. He let his shield down so I can see them clearly. I just have this lingering anxiety that I'm going to lose track of her again." She closed her eyes for a moment, "I'm sorry."

Carlisle's expression softened, "Alice, we didn't have to have these guests over to our house." He motioned for him to join her away from the noise of the crowd. "I don't want Nicole to feel like she's isolated from her own home."

"Don't be silly," Alice told him, shaking her head, "Nicole is thrilled to be away from us and alone with Salvatore. I just suddenly got anxious." She sighed, "Do you think the kids would mind checking up on them?"

Carlisle nodded, "Of course. I'll go get them."

"Oh, no," Alice shook her head, "I'll have Jas do it. He's not having as much fun as the rest of us are."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, "Positive. I just needed to take a breather, that's all."

"You didn't have a vision?"

"No." She shook her head. "It's just a mom thing, I guess."

Carlisle smiled and Alice took in a deep breath before whisking through the crowd to find Jasper, who stood closely with Emmett.

"Dr. Cullen! Hi!"

He spun around, facing two nurses from the hospital. "How are you?" he asked with a nod.

"We're great." The young brunette smiled and nodded eagerly.

"I'm glad you both could make it."

"We wouldn't miss it," the other girl said, "Everyone's been talking. We're glad you're back."

Carlisle gave a closed-mouth smile at the two of them and nodded, "Well, thank you. I'm glad to be back, too."

"You have a beautiful house," the brunette spoke again.

"Thank-"

"Dad, dad, dad!" Marshall came running through the crowd just a tad faster than he should have, soaking wet in his swim trunks.

The girls stared down at the adorable child and began to gush, looking at each other with admirable grins.

Carlisle's eyes widened and he snickered upon seeing the trail of wet footprints his son had left behind. "This is Marshall," he explained, scooping up his son in his arms.

"Hi Marshall," they said at the same time like two teenage fan-girls of a pop band.

Marshall looked at the two of them, and then to Carlisle without saying anything back.

"I thought you were suppose to be in the pool with the big kids?" he asked his son, pressing his eyebrows together.

Marshall looked back at the girls and then put his hand over his mouth to whisper into his father's ear, "I'm hungry, Daddy."

Carlisle clutched his son a little tighter in case he decided to make an inhuman break for the blood they had stashed for him upstairs in their room.

The two nurses laughed again, and Carlisle glanced at them, "I'm just going to find some food a little more kid-friendly," he explained with a smile, "Help yourself to anything."

"Thanks!" the brunette said, still staring at the two of them in admiration.

"Thank you," her friend said.

They waved, as Marshall clung to Carlisle, looking over his shoulder as he walked through the crowd. At the last minute he stuck his tongue out at the two of them, making the young ladies giggle with one another before they made their way over to one of the drink stations.

Esme's eyes widened a bit when Carlisle returned to their circle of friends with a soaking wet Marshall on his arm.

"Well, who is this?" Franklin's wife had since entered the conversation and looked at the youngster that clung to Carlisle.

"This is Marshall," Carlisle explained and then looked at Esme for a moment, "Our son."

"I didn't know you had a son." Franklin grinned and laughed out loud before holding up a hand, "How's about a high-five little fella?"

Marshall looked at Carlisle for a moment before tentatively slapping his hand against the man's.

Franklin began to laugh and his wife smiled at the cherubic nature of the young boy.

"I'll be back in a minute," Carlisle explained to them, "I'm just going to get him something to eat."

Esme looked at him and Carlisle nodded, letting her know he was alright before bringing Marshall away. His other co-workers glanced with smiles as Carlisle passed them by, all immediately infatuated with his son.

She sighed with a grin and continued to entertain as her husband took care of Marshall.

"He's adorable," Mrs. Martin gushed, "How old is he?"

The two of them hadn't talked over the story behind Marshall, and so Esme threw out a number that was accurate in their son's appearance. "He's three-and-a-half," she said with a nod.

"Well, he's right at home here in Marshall, Minnesota," Franklin laughed again, continuing to sip on his scotch and then dangled the glass in front of him. "Don't mind me," he said, "It's rare I get a night off, never mind out."

Esme and Rosalie both smiled.

"Indulge," Rosalie encouraged him.

"I intend to," Franklin said with a laugh, nudging his wife, who simply shook her head with a smile.

"Christopher says you have an indoor pool," Mrs. Martin stated, sounding it out like a question.

"Oh, um, yes." Esme nodded, almost embarrassed by the lavish nature of their home. "He's here now with Caleb and the rest of them, right?"

The two of them nodded.

"Our son just thinks so highly of Caleb," she went on, "The two of them are becoming great friends. They've been meeting to study at the library on Friday nights."

"Yes," Franklin added with a nod, "Good influences on one another."

Esme smiled, "Well, I'm glad they're getting along so well."

Caleb leapt over Chris and into the pool, completing a flip as he did so.

"Showoff!" Alex called, laughing along with her brother and their friends.

"Man, this is so much better than Connecticut," Caleb said, "I hated being cooped up at home all the time, never meeting any new friends."

"What'd you get home-schooled there or something?" Mary asked, slicking her hair back with water.

"Oh, um, yeah..." Caleb caught himself as he accidentally told a small truth of their world before returning to Minnesota.

Jasper entered the pool area and everyone turned to him.

"What's going on?" William sat on the ledge with his feet in the water facing the door where he just entered.

"I need a quick favor from one of you," he said, "Or two of you."

William stood up first and eyed Madison, who stood with a beach ball in her arms next to Alex. The two of them made their way over to Jasper and the three of them disappeared from the room for a moment.

"Who was _that_?" Mary said with a smile.

"Oh, that's Jasper," Mackenzie explained. "Why?"

"He's hot."

Caleb and Alex made eye contact and burst out laughing.

"What?" she said, "He is. How old is he?"

Alex continued to laugh, "He's married. Sorry."

"Married? What?"

"To Alice," Caleb went on, "The short, dark-haired one."

Mary scrunched her nose, "Oh, I should have known. They're kind of, like, perfect for each other." She splashed some water on her face, "Damn."

The kids laughed again and a moment later, Jasper returned, smirking as he obviously overheard the conversation.

"What's going on Jas?" Alex asked him.

"William and Maddy..." His voice drifted and he peered out the small window in the center of the door that led out of the pool area.

Everyone followed his stare, and then let their mouths drop when Nicole emerged with Salvatore.

Jasper could see the intense, strained nature of Salvatore's face and rushed toward them to get him out of the room.

"It's okay, it's okay..." Nicole said, noting that they'd attracted unwanted attention from the human population in the pool.

Jasper looked at the two of them and whispered lowly, "What are you guys doing here?"

Salvatore looked over his shoulder at the human kids and then looked back to Jasper. "My mother called," he explained, "We may have a problem."


	11. Guys Hunt

**Chapter 11**

"I just think you ought to warn your family and friends in Washington," Salvatore said. He looked around the Cullen family feeling like the villain again. "I'm trying to... help."

Carlisle stepped forward, seeing the desperation in the young man's eyes. He could see he felt cornered and on the spot, and he felt as if it wasn't fair.

"Thank you for warning us about this," he said with a nod. "We're lucky to have your insight on this."

Salvatore nodded, though Jasper continued to eye him in suspicion.

"It's okay, Jasper," Edward assured his brother, "It's a warning. It's a good thing. Now we have an idea of what to expect."

Jasper's response was plain and unrevealing. "Yeah."

"I'm in your side," Salvatore reassured them. "I needed to tell you that Caius was making a trip to Washington so you would know."

"That's very thoughtful of you," Esme told him. "I understand how difficult it must be to have to balance two worlds."

Nicole clung closely to his side and kept making eye contact with Alice.

She gave her daughter reassuring nods every so often and tried to silently make her feel better amidst the tense conversation.

"I think Bella and I should make a trip out there," Edward volunteered. He looked at her, "We need to be there for Renesme... and Jacob."

"Of course," she agreed immediately, "Of course. Yes." Bella glanced downward where Charlie laid peacefully in her arms.

"Keep Charlie here," Rosalie told them, "We'll take care of him. He doesn't need to be anywhere near Caius."

Emmett put a hand on her shoulder and nodded. "I can go with you to Washington," he offered, drawing a neutral look from Rosalie.

"You don't have to do that, Emmett," Bella told him, shaking her head.

"More manpower," he told them, "Just in case."

Rosalie leaned herself against him, letting concern show in her eyes, though she always stood by her husband's intentions in situations like this. "If you need him, or us, we'll be there to go with you."

"You'll need to make sure Caius doesn't know you're there," Carlisle told them, "Warn everybody. Get them to safety."

"The wolves won't leave." Bella shook her head. "I know they won't."

"At least they'll know what's coming," Carlisle said, "If they choose to stay then that's their decision. It doesn't appear that the Volturi are looking to attack, or bringing the numbers."

"Just Caius and Marcus," Alice said, squinting as she spoke. "I have seen them leave Volterra."

"So they're looking for information," Carlisle concluded, "As Salvatore explained."

"It doesn't mean it won't get ugly," Edward pointed out.

"They're outnumbered there," he said, shaking his head. "Just the two of them, Alice?"

She nodded, "Yes."

"They won't go into a fight outnumbered," Carlisle went on, "If anything they'll attempt to use scare tactics."

"We'll go," Madison volunteered. She looked at William, who nodded.

"No," Rosalie shook her head, "There is no altercation that is going to take place. It's a warning to the tribe... and Renesme."

There was a silence that fell over the group, all still in their bathing suits or party clothes from the evening's formerly upbeat atmosphere.

"I think Carlisle's right," Alice said with a nod, "They're going to use scare tactics to convince them to give information."

"No one gets hurt?" Esme asked.

"I can't see much because of the Quileutes, but from what I can see there's no physical fighting involved."

"I can see the reservation," Nicole chimed in, "You're right... but it's not going to be a pleasant visit."

"We're not going to be able to stay here long, are we?" Caleb asked.

"We'll see what happens," Carlisle told him. He looked at Salvatore, "If you don't mind keeping your shield off at all times so Alice can see what may or may not go on..." His voice trailed off as he deemed it unnecessary to finish the thought in a complete sentence.

"Of course." Salvatore nodded, "It's not wholly automatic yet, but most times I can."

"Make it automatic," Jasper told him, keeping his voice dry and unsympathetic.

He nodded and Nicole stared at her father.

"I'm going to hunt," Jasper said to no one in particular. He looked at Alice, who attempted to use soothing touches as tactics to keep him calm.

"I'll go with you," Emmett offered.

"Me, too." Edward stood up from the half-seated position he sat in on the arm of the couch. He looked at Bella, "We'll talk when I get back."

Carlisle made eye contact with him and seemed to be agreeing to go without using words to say it. He glanced at Esme, who nodded once.

"Let me change my shoes," Carlisle said, "And then we'll go."

"Same." Emmett nodded and already began removing the tie from around his neck. "Guys night out." He half-smiled at Bella and Esme, alleviating the stress of the situation only a little bit.

"Be careful," Bella said quietly.

Carlisle walked toward the stairs with Esme by his side and Emmett just a few steps in front of them.

"Take your time," Esme told him. "I think the four of your need to talk things out."

He nodded.

"Keep Jasper calm," she whispered.

Carlisle nodded again and tipped the corner of his mouth up in a worried smile, before reaching for her hand.

"You'll all be okay here?" he asked.

She nodded. "Of course."

"You and Alice shook make sure Nicole and Salvatore are okay," he suggested.

Esme played with a crease on his shirt subconsciously. "We will."

Carlisle sighed and looked at her.

The two of them stopped walking upon reaching the top of the staircase and just shared a look, knowing what the other was thinking without having to say anything.

"I know." Esme nodded, "I know."

Carlisle's eyes were tired and he continued to look at his wife.

She brought him toward her in a hug and stroked his hair.

"Are we ever going to get back to those peaceful, boring days?" he whispered against her neck.

Esme closed her eyes as he let out another deep breath. "Doesn't seem fair, does it?"

"No." He rubbed her back for a moment. "I'm tired."

"Maybe if we move to Antarctica no one will ever find us."

Carlisle snickered and pulled back. "Or maybe the island."

"Even better."

The two of them shared a kiss, accompanied by some wishful thinking and Esme hugged him again for a moment.

"This may be nothing," she told him.

"Maybe." He sighed again.

Esme planted a kiss on his cheek and looked into his dark eyes. "Go hunt," she said. "Be careful."

"Maybe we can do something... normal and watch a movie when I get back."

"It's a date."


	12. Backup Plan

**Chapter 12**

Nicole and Salvatore drifted outside onto the patio, positioning themselves in front of unlit stone fire pit. She collapsed into his lap and he wrapped his arms around her. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Salvatore finally spoke.

"Ever think your dad's right?" he asked.

"About what?" Nicole didn't look up at him. She gazed upward at the stars and effortlessly found the pattern that made up the big dipper.

"Maybe I'm more harm than good here," Salvatore said. "If I'm just putting you and your family at risk."

She turned abruptly to him and looked him in the eye. "What does that mean?"

"Exactly what I said." His eyes were soft, shining with hurt at the notion of leaving for the sake of the greater good. "Maybe it would really be better for all of you if I just went back to Italy. I could keep them all off your back if I was there. I could steer them away from any ideas they have of trying to hurt or intimidate your family."

"You're joking right?" Nicole's eyebrows pressed together angrily and her face twisted in a scowl.

"I'm thinking of you."

"Glad you'd miss me..." She popped up onto her feet and began to distance herself from him.

"I'm not trying to upset you," Salvatore explained honestly. "I want you to be safe. I feel terrible every time your family has to call these family meetings or worry because of my family... or me."

"Would you miss me if you left?" Nicole repeated.

He stared at her, now wanting to recant his idea. He didn't want to spend time away from her, especially not in a permanent fashion. "Yes."

"Close your eyes," she ordered. Nicole stood with her hands on her hips and she stared into his eyes without looking away until Salvatore's eyes closed shut. "I want you to picture exactly what I'm going to say, okay?"

His Adam's apple moved as he swallowed once and then nodded.

"Picture dark, brick walls and the smell of Italy's musty underground. Picture stone chairs and listening to Caius relish in the people he's chosen to feed on. Picture Marcus's heartbroken, melancholy stare into nothingness because he's lost his only love; your father's carefree smile because he doesn't feel empathy for those around him." Nicole breathed in once through her nose, and Salvatore kept his eyes shut.

"Now think of me," she went on, "Think of me here... or somewhere else. Eventually you'll lose track of where we end up," Nicole's voice hardened just a little, "For our safety of course."

Salvatore let out a breath, but didn't remove himself from the vivid picture she was painting.

"Now picture me alone for an eternity," Nicole went on, "Crying in my room at first... for awhile; and then simply moving on because that's what you have to do in life. Picture me, Salvatore, sitting around as purposeless as Marcus."

Salvatore's eyes opened and he stared back into Nicole's. Her eyes were blackened slightly, and he guessed it had to be a cause of her fury.

"I don't want that," he said softly. "I want Saturday nights of watching funny movies with you while we sit close under a blanket. I want to paint with you when the rest of the world is asleep. I want to hunt what you hunt because I don't hate myself for it afterwards. I want you, Nicole. I want us."

She smiled, feeling her stomach tie in knots as he spoke. "I want us, too."

"If my sister and Seth can make it work so can we."

Nicole smiled wider and felt a tear form in the corner of her eye.

"And Caleb and Delilah," he went on.

"Them too." She laughed lightly and then rushed over to hug him before the two of them shared a long series of kisses.

Nicole pulled him close and hugged him to her body. "God, I love you Salvatore."

"I love you, too."

She sighed and looked him in the eye. "We need a backup plan, though."

Salvatore squinted as he thought. "What do you mean?"

Nicole looked upward toward a few illuminated windows before dragging him away from the house by the hand until the two of them stood out by the tall, steel gates that protected their driveway.

"We need a backup plan in case something tries to separate us," she went on.

He nodded, "Okay. What kind of backup plan?"

Nicole looked toward the house again and lowered her voice as much as possible. "We need to find a neutral spot we can relocate if we need to."

"What, like run away together?" Salvatore asked.

She put her finger up to her lips and then nodded. "Yes."

He began to ponder the idea, and nodded more enthusiastically. "Okay. Yeah... we should."

"Yeah?"

Salvatore nodded again. "Yeah." His initial thought was to do it now. He would have run away with Nicole in a second; not that he didn't like her family or enjoy their company, but he hadn't had the long term relationships with them that Nicole obviously did.

She sighed and looked around the darkness, watching the tree tops as they swayed heavily in the late winter's breeze.

"Why don't we get you inside," he told her, grinning just after. "We wouldn't want you to catch a cold."

Nicole let a slow grin spread across her face and she snickered.

Salvatore brought her face back to his gently and they shared another kiss. "Would you really run away with me?"

She nodded. "Mm-hmm."

He grinned and slung his arm across her shoulders. "Can we go back tot he house do one of my favorite things together?'

Nicole began to laugh. "And what's that?"

"Watch a funny movie together..."

She giggled again and nodded. "Under the covers."

Salvatore grinned. "Only if it's okay with your mom."


	13. A Horror Movie

**Chapter 13**

Hours had passed before the eldest men in the family returned from their group hunting trip. Each of their wives were equally eager to hear about what was said during their brief absence, though Alice had already given Esme the gist of it through her vision.

The two of them made it a point to both give Nicole and Salvatore their space, and likewise attempt to make them feel better about the current situation. Alice had tried lightening her daughter's mood, while Esme had been speaking with Salvatore in the same motherly fashion that came naturally to her in regards to the other children.

"I'll leave you alone," Alice told her daughter with a small smile, half-kidding in her claim. She made eye contact with Jasper as he entered the home ahead of everyone else. The scowl on his face remained, yet his eyes were much softer and he managed a quick wink in their daughter's direction despite his unshakable mood.

Carlisle gave an appreciative nod to Esme and gave her a few final minutes alone with Salvatore by making his way up to his office to finish off a minimal amount of paperwork he needed to wrap up for the hospital.

"Fill me in." Rosalie made a direct line to Emmett and made no attempt to be discreet. He put his arm around her and towed her away in the direction of their room to talk privately.

Bella was more hesitant in her approach with Edward. She held Charlie in her arms and didn't speak the words, though her eyes gave away the similar questions that everyone else had regarding the situation, and Jasper's current mental state.

Edward walked up to where Salvatore stood with Esme in the kitchen. He placed a hand on his shoulder.

"He doesn't hate you," he assured the young man.

Salvatore stared back at him.

"Okay?" Edward pressed.

"Okay." He nodded, responding quietly.

Esme tried to be reassuring in her body language and flashed a sympathetic smile. "We're all here for you," she assured him.

Salvatore took in a deep breath and then leaned in to give her hug. "Thanks."

She raised her eyebrows for a moment, surprised by his gesture, though fully appreciated his embrace. Esme felt like it was something he needed.

"You're welcome," she said sincerely.

Salvatore didn't fully smile, though he nodded almost shyly and made his way across the room to link up with Nicole.

Esme stood alone for a moment and looked around as everyone appeared to be making their way to their own, segregated parts of the house. Down the hall she heard Marshall in the middle of a giggle fit as Caleb tickled him. In the background she could hear the repetitive tune to some video game that the two of them had left on pause. A smile crossed her face as she envisioned their interaction, and she took the stairs to find Carlisle.

From down the hall, Esme could hear a pen scraping across a paper as her husband filled in the blanks to a handful of questions on a form. He sighed and breathed as he paused to think, and she could tell that he wasn't able to keep his mind on his work the way he typically did.

She knocked on the frame of the partially open door and leaned against it.

"Hey," she said with a smile.

Carlisle's serious face twisted into a grin of his own and the tone of his voice was warm, even though he only echoed the word back. "Hey."

Esme crossed the room slowly. She rounded the desk and positioned herself behind him, running a hand down the inside of his shirt and placing her lips against his earlobe. She then trailed kisses down his neck before hugging him from behind.

Carlisle closed his eyes and let out a slow breath through his nose while Esme continued down his shirt, unfastening the first few buttons.

His hand grazed hers and he placed the pen down to pull her a little closer to him.

"I need some Carlisle time," she whispered, laughing lightly as she did against the center of his ear.

He snickered along with her and kept his hands securely against hers as Esme continued to gently rub his upper body.

"I don't have much to do in here," he admitted. "Nothing that can't be done in ten minutes later."

"Here you are just back at the job and I'm already selfishly pulling you away," she teased.

"You're not," Carlisle assured her. "Who knows how long I'll get to work here, anyway."

Esme lazily slumped herself onto him from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder. "We're staying."

He didn't do anything to dispute her claims, though remained silent, linking his fingers through hers where they rested over the center of his chest. A moment later he rose from his seat, causing Esme to back away to allow him up.

"Come on," he said, not unlinking his hand from hers, "I could use some Esme time, too."

She smiled and they wandered down to their bedroom.

"You know I don't care for the lack of modesty of this house," Carlisle said as they entered, "But I have to say I enjoy having our own fireplace."

Esme sighed with another smile and Carlisle took a moment to get a fire burning before they settled in under the covers next to one another. She closed her eyes and he cuddled himself behind her.

"I love the smell of firewood burning," she said.

Carlisle toyed with the strap of the tank top she had stripped down to and then kissed her shoulder. "Yeah."

The two of them laid in silence for a moment, each with their eyes closed before he made a hesitant suggestion.

"Would it be smart for our group to split up?" he asked, "Scatter around the country... or countries?"

Esme turned her head partway to look at him. "What?"

"I'm just thinking of ways to throw them off," he told her, "The Volturi."

She decided to make light of his suggestion that she heavily disagreed with. "Carlisle..." Esme turned all the way around to face him and placed a hand on the side of his face. "That's exactly how the dimwitted main characters think in all those horror movies that Emmett loves to watch so much." She smirked, "And we all know what happens when they split up."

He couldn't help but chuckle at her comment and squinted his eyes just slightly as he spoke. "So you're calling me dimwitted?"

"Not you, per se," Esme told him, "But your idea... yes." She laughed lightly again with him.

"Okay." He immediately backed off. "Dumb idea."

"Yeah." She nodded and leaned in to give him a kiss.

Esme kissed him with a little more enthusiasm and Carlisle hesitated.

"What?" she asked him, smiling upon seeing his boyish grin.

"If we're speaking in terms of horror movies," he said, raising his eyebrows as he hovered partway above her, "Isn't this kind of the kiss of death? No pun intended."

Esme began to laugh a little louder before she pulled him back to her and kissed him again. "I'll take my chances."

"You sure?" Carlisle smiled.

She smiled back. "I'm sure."


	14. Turning Points

Nicole approached her mother with a smile, that made Alice do the same. Jasper sat next to her and sat forward, intrigued by the positive energy that radiating out of their daughter.

"So..." she continued to grin, and even managed a snicker. "I just had a vision."

Alice smiled, appreciating the gift she'd passed down to her daughter. "What was the vision of?"

"Washington," she explained, "Specifically the Quileute Res."

"This has to do with Caius and the Volturi?" Jasper asked. He folded his arms across his chest.

Nicole nodded, unable to keep a grin from her face. "It seems as though they managed to play quite the elaborate joke on the Volturi thanks to Salvatore's information."

"What's that?" her father asked, even more intrigued.

"Well, when they arrived to the reservation no one was there... not one person."

Alice and Jasper exchanged a glance, and Alice raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"No one is there." Nicole shrugged, "The boys planned something when they heard the Volturi were coming. I think Luciana's gift to mask their scents helped."

Alice snickered, but couldn't hide her skepticism. "Not one person?"

She shook her head. "Nope."

"So, what happened then?" Jasper asked. "With Caius and the others?"

"They'll just go back to Italy," Nicole assured them, "And not happily, mind you."

"They'll try again." Jasper huffed.

"But thanks to Salvatore," Alice said, looking momentarily at Nicole before switching her gaze to Jasper, "Nothing happened this time."

Nicole made eye contact with Jasper, and prepared for the worst.

He looked into his daughter's eyes and felt all of her happiness change into an emotion far heavier; angst mixed with a type of fear he wasn't extremely familiar with. It was a fear of what he was about to say.

"I'm grateful he was able to give us that information," Jasper stated. He felt a sense of obligated to keep his daughter happy, and felt regret for being the one to make her feel so uneasy. Truthfully, he was grateful for the information.

"Really?" Nicole's eyes widened, and she let a smile slowly spread across her face.

Jasper looked at Alice for a moment, who instinctually locked her arm through his. He then grinned and looked back to his daughter before his face fell serious again.

"Nicole," he cleared his throat. "I haven't been fair... I know. I've been struggling with the idea of you falling for Aro's son."

"I understand."

"I want to make sure you're okay," Jasper went on, "As your father it's my job to protect you... but I can see now that you've chosen someone who has beat a lot of the odds that were stacked against him... I understand how challenging that can be."

Alice looked at him lovingly. "Look at how great things can become if you just have a little faith in someone."

He grinned again, looking back and forth between the two of them and then stepped forward to hug Nicole.

"I love you," he said, "And I'm sorry if I've not been the warmest about everything."

"It's okay." She sighed against his chest and then smiled at him as they parted. "I'm just happy knowing I have your blessing. I'm not trying to hurt anyone by being with Salvatore."

"You're not hurting anyone," he assured her, "In all of my years I have experience in a lot of things... but this is my first time dealing with a daughter being in love... with the enemy." He grinned at the last word, making his joke known to his daughter.

Nicole laughed and then hugged him again. "Thanks Dad."

"But he has to prove himself for at least a decade before I let him marry you."

She laughed a little louder and looked at him. "As long as I can be with him, I don't care."

Alice smiled, feeling content by their interaction.

"Those Quileute boys aren't as stupid as I thought," Jasper joked.

...

Caius and Marcus returned to Italy, having to explain their failure to Aro. Marcus was monotone, as always, and Caius was insulted by how puzzled he found himself at the hands of a handful of shape-shifting werewolves.

"I'd love to just go back and wipe out their entire tribe." Caius stormed through the underground lair of their home.

"Brother, do relax." Aro smirked, seemingly pleased for whatever reason by Caius' failure. Internally he felt even more on top of their coven with Caius' plan go awry. "We have no bone to pick with the Quileute tribe, anyway."

The moods in the room continued to vary. Caius bared his anger; Marcus remained solemnly neutral and Aro continued to get a silent humor regarding the situation.

Vincent stood comfortably beneath a hooded robe, taking in all of what his elder counterparts were speaking of. An idea popped into his head like a spark of life. It was something that felt far too brilliant for a simple passing thought.

He didn't want to tell his father, knowing it could potentially break Salvatore. His eyes moved to the far corner of the room where Jane stood with her hands folded neatly together.

_Jane will understand._ He smiled to himself and placed a hand on his father's shoulder.

"I'm going to ask Jane to accompany me for a hunt, father."

"Please do." Aro nodded and watched as his son made his way across the room.

"Jane," Vincent spoke, "Will you come with me into the city?"

"Why should I?" she didn't look at him initially.

"We must hunt."

"I prefer to hunt alone." Since losing her brother, Jane rarely felt like having immediate company, particularly on hunts.

"Jane," Vincent's eyes pleaded with hers, and his methodical nature captivated even the coldest of hearts. "Please?"

She looked at him, unaware of his intentions, though Vincent assumed she would have no qualms going along for his ride. "Fine."

"Thank you." He smiled at her with menacing dimples and looked over his shoulder at his father.

Jane sneered at him, but tagged along for lack of better things to do.

The two of them raced out into the city and before Jane could settle into her crouch and stalk her prey, Vincent stopped her.

"I don't want to be your friend," Jane told him, "Or your family."

"I don't care whether you do or don't Jane," Vincent told her, "But I have an idea to run by you."

She stopped and looked at him with a century's worth of wrath. "What Vincent?" Her voice was monotone, "What do you want?"

"I want to bring down the Cullens," he explained, "And if need be my brother."

She narrowed her eyes.

"He tried to kill me," Vincent reminded her.

"You have a plan? Like the last time when you tried to disguise yourself as your brother?"

"I'm best at manipulation."

"Doubtful."

Vincent smiled. "Go along with me on this and I you will never doubt me again."


	15. Power Restored

**Trailer for this story is on my you tube account. If you go to the website and paste: watch?v=qwn6VRqpgmU after the URL you can view it. There may be a minor spoiler.**

**Chapter 15**

Aro passed through all of the Cullens old residences; anywhere he could think of where their family once resided. He'd made his rounds about the U.S. and closed in on the state of Minnesota. It was where the fooled him once, making him falsely believe that Carlisle and Alice had perished. There was nothing pleasant about the small town of Marshall; though he hoped it would bring him one thing - vengeance.

He felt his power was slipping; the family in shambles over the betrayal of Salvatore. Even Sulpicia was beginning to rebel against his wishes. While he had every intent to steal his child back from the Cullen family, his anger was at its peak. Aro hated himself for feeling the love in his heart for his son, particularly upon knowing he was almost responsible for killing Vincent. Had it been anyone else, he would have killed them. He wouldn't kill Salvatore, but he would do whatever he could to bring him to a sense of justice, even if that simply meant going back to Italy against his will and being locked in the tower with his mother.

Connecticut, Washington, Tennessee, New York, Wisconsin... all of these locations, among many more were vacant, and Aro was close to giving it a rest. What urged him on was the notion that he had an eternity so if it took months to completely scrap clean every inch of the country then so be it.

He waltzed through the woods, already smelling the blood that ran through the veins of the students at the secluded prep school that stood hardly protected by the trees that surrounded it on all sides.

Aro discontinued his hope in finding the Cullen family, and thus his own son, at each location he traveled to. Still, he couldn't brush off the overwhelming idea that he could soon be so close to seeing Salvatore's guilt-ridden expression.

Before he passed through the campus, he was engulfed by another smell; something familiar.

_Caleb Cullen, _he smirked to himself.

Aro's eyes widened and he found another idea to be more entertaining. His posture stiffened with delight and he began to track the young man, not caring whether his own scent was as traceable.

There were a collection of voices, and Aro could smell the human blood and hear it pumping through the ventricles of Caleb's human counterparts. He sat back and listened, approaching a shallow cave that sunk into the ground.

"I wonder if our teacher really does believe in vampires, or if this was all just some game," a young man's voice spoke.

"Do you believe in them?" a girl asked.

Aro narrowed his eyes, causing his eyebrows to press together. He didn't know if Caleb had told them of their immortal secret or not.

"Caleb, do you?" the same boy asked.

"Um..." His voice trailed off and Aro listened intently.

"What's wrong Caleb?" a third voice asked.

Aro knew Caleb Cullen must have been aware of his presence, and so he stepped forward into the cave, blocking the only exit.

Everyone stopped what they were doing, frozen in place as the laughter died down and fear took over the room.

"Hello, Mr. Cullen." Aro smirked. "How are you this evening?"

Caleb's mouth hung partway open and he didn't move. A part of him began to thank God that Delilah had gone hunting with Alex, Nicole and Mackenzie rather than accompany him that night to the weekly meeting with their friends.

Chris turned his head slowly, appearing to be almost too frightened to move. "You... know him?"

Caleb swallowed hard. He didn't say anything back.

"Who are you?" Mary's voice shook as she spoke.

"I'm Caleb's friend from Volterra," Aro said in a happy tone, "Have you heard of it?"

Everyone stared in his direction and shook their heads.

"Caleb do you know where my son Salvatore might be?" Aro asked.

"Yes," was his one word response.

Aro's high-pitched laugh made everyone jump. He put his hands together. "Well, it was his idea to send me here dressed this way. He was aware of this little meeting and asked me to come frighten you."

The postures of the kids relaxed just a bit, and they all looked at one another.

"What is this meeting? May I ask?"

Chris cleared his throat. "We come here to talk about witches and v-vampires and stuff."

"Vampires." Aro smiled menacingly.

"Is that what your son told you to dress as?" Mary asked. Her voice was timid, and it sounded as if she hoped his elaborate ensemble was, indeed, fake.

He laughed again. "But of course. Do I look the part?"

"Yes."

"Wonderful." He smiled wide, "Caleb, may I have a word with you for a moment? It's about my son."

He stood from where he sat. "Sure." Caleb looked at the rest of them, "Maybe everyone should just head back to the dorms." He tried to be casual in his shrug.

No one looked as if they knew what to do. They didn't know what to make of Aro's abrupt entrance to their secret location.

"I'll be fine," he assured them. "I'll see you guys Monday."

Aro smiled at all of them again. "Enjoy your readings." He motioned to the journal and then exited the cave ahead of Caleb.

"Aro-" Caleb began, but the Volturi leader quickly had him in his grasp with his hand over his mouth.

"I can see you don't mind putting our kind as risk with your whimsical, little immortal society," he spoke bitterly and looked directly into Caleb's eyes. "Your family is about to understand exactly what I've felt since losing Luciana and Salvatore. They're going to understand what it feels like to lose a child."

Caleb tried not to show fear, but his eyes couldn't help it.

"It's going to an eventful trip back to Italy." Aro smiled, and began dragging Caleb away from the school's campus; away from his home; away from Minnesota toward a much darker place.

Aro left his previous plans to see Salvatore behind, knowing they would soon be reunited. With Caleb as collateral, he knew he could get Carlisle and the rest of the Cullens to do exactly as he asked.

_The power is beginning to get restored_.


	16. Search Party

**Chapter 16**

"Hey Mom, can Michael and I get married again like Rosalie and Emmett did?" Alex looked across the living room at Esme, and then laughed at her mother's raised eyebrows. "I'm just kidding."

Esme began to laugh and thumbed through a magazine while a movie played on the television.

"Did Michael go hunting with you?"

Alex shook her head. "Nope. He's been doing his best to keep Salvatore's chin up with everything. We all know Michael's appearance on our doorstep was a little unorthodox."

Esme grinned and looked at her daughter. "And that worked out perfectly well, now didn't it?"

She nodded with smile. "Do you-" she lowered her voice, "like him for her?"

Esme looked around the empty room before nodding. "Yes."

"Jasper doesn't seem to."

"I think it's just a hard thing for him to grasp," she explained, "He's her father. Salvatore is Aro's son and they did plot against us in the past. Their relationship started off a little secretive." Esme paused, "But I think Jasper can see that he's honest, and that he really does care deeply for Nicole."

"What was Dad's first impression of Peter?" Alex asked her mother. "And Michael?"

A slow smile spread across her face, and Alex laughed.

"He didn't like them, did he?"

Esme shook her head, "He liked Michael. His first impression of Michael was very different than... the other one." She made a face, not wanting to speak his name.

"He knew Peter was bad news, huh?"

She shrugged, and Alex shook her head.

"I should have known."

Esme placed the magazine down and moved across the room to sit next to her daughter. She put her arm around her shoulders. "You have to live and learn... and I think you have."

"Why didn't you guys tell me you didn't like him?" Alex asked.

"We didn't want to jump to conclusions too soon," Esme explained, "If we had known of his real intentions we would have gone about it differently."

Alex sighed and looked at her mother.

"You have Michael now," she reminded her, "And you're so happy that you want a second wedding."

She laughed and nodded. "I just wish I wasn't so stupid back then."

"It was a learning experience," Esme said. "And if nothing else I'm sure it's made your appreciate how great of a man Michael is."

Alex nodded again. "Yeah... it has."

A knock at the front door caught their attention and Esme rose with a smile. Her shoes clicked, sending small echoing waves off the high ceilings and she pulled open the knob, coming face to face with Chris.

"Chris," she smiled. "How are you?"

"Um... is Caleb here?" The boy looked fearful, and Esme sensed it right away.

"He said he was going to the school to visit you." She stepped aside and waved the boy into their home.

"He left before I did."

"Did he say he was coming back home?" Esme felt her chest tighten, and a moment later Alex and Edward were both behind her.

Chris looked around at the small group of them.

"He left with someone," he explained.

Esme turned her head and made eye contact with Edward.

"Who was it?" she asked, turning back around.

"Um... a man... he said he was-"

"Aro." Edward looked at Esme, who's eyes widened.

"What?"

"You know him?" Chris asked. "I thought it was... suspicious, that's why I came right here."

"Thank you." Esme thanked him but couldn't keep the frantic nature of her state inside. "I have to call Carlisle."

"Is Caleb okay?" Chris asked.

The rest of the family began rushing toward the front foyer of the house, and Chris looked completely overwhelmed.

"Emmett," Edward looked at his brother, "Can you drive Chris home?"

He nodded and looked at the terrified young man.

"Did they say where they were going?" Emmett asked him. He turned and Rosalie had already grabbed the keys, tossing them to her husband.

"No." He shook his head, "I wouldn't have let him go with him, but Caleb said it was okay and told us to go home. He said he would see us on Monday."

"Okay man, thanks." Emmett rushed him out the door. "Anything at all you remember?" The door closed behind them, and Edward was already organizing a search party.

Esme had her hand on her forehead and she had her cell phone up to her ear. Upon reaching Carlisle's voicemail, she let her emotion out. "Carlisle call me back now. Caleb's been taken."

"Mom..." Alex's eyes were filled with fear and Michael was now at her side.

Delilah rushed in upon hearing off the commotion. A towel was still on her head from the shower she had been taking after hunting with the girls.

"Caleb's in trouble?"

Esme hung up the phone and shoved it in her pocket, and then looked at the three of them. "We've got to go out and search the woods and look for a trail." Her phone rang and she ripped the pocket of her jeans attempting to pick it up. Emmett's name appeared on the screen.

He didn't bother to say hi, or given an introductory phrase. "They were out in the woods behind campus," he said, "A couple hundred yards behind the library there was some cave. I'm heading there after I drop off Chris."

"Okay." Esme could hear Chris apologizing in the background. "Tell him it's not his fault. I'm heading there now." She hung up and looked at her the kids. "Let's go."

"Is he okay?" Delilah's voice was increasingly frantic. Her chest felt as if it was swelling up and her throat suddenly felt tight.

"We're going to get him." Esme attempted to let determination override fear and anguish. She knew neither of those would help her find her son and bring him to safety.

Everyone else made their way out, communicating with short, simple phrases and a moment later the house was empty.

Esme didn't care if she was seen moving at unreachable speeds. She needed to see her son's face and know he was okay.

It felt like forever, though less than a minute had passed when Esme came across the area that Emmett described. A flashlight had been left behind and provided a dim glow at the cave's entrance.

She rushed in, coming across their club's journal and storybooks. A moment later she emerged back into the night air, only faintly catching Caleb's and Aro's scents. Still, she followed it as far as it stretched, eventually crossing paths with others of her family.

Edward had picked up on the scent farther up the way than she had. Alex, Michael and Delilah ran at her heels, and even farther back was Emmett, who had joined the hunt.

_All of us can't fail_, Esme thought, _there are too many of us not to find him_. While her inner monologue was hopeful, she could feel the reality of the situation lingering in the back of her mind. Caleb was in danger, and the longer it took to find him, the less likely it was that he would make it out alive.


	17. Three Tickets

**Chapter 17**

Carlisle shook hands with another doctor as he headed back toward his office after an eventful night at the hospital.

"That was a close call," his co-worker said with a smile. "It's always a great day at the office when you get to save somebody."

He nodded with a smile and snickered. "I can agree with that."

The man grinned wider and then gave a wave. "Have a good night doc."

"You too." Carlisle nodded and smiled to himself as he headed back into his office. He sighed as he walked through the door, glancing around the half empty space that he was still getting accustomed to.

He made his way around his desk and slumped into the seat for a moment, placing his hands on the back of his head. After a heavy-duty surgery that initially left everyone feeling as though the patient at hand wouldn't survive, Carlisle contently decompressed in his seat and reflected on the life that he saved with the help of a team of doctors.

The silence was peaceful, and he enjoyed the few minutes of solitude before standing up to hang his jacket on a hook by the entrance.

It was nights like that one that made him feel invigorated and completely reinforced all of the things he loved about being a doctor.

Dr. Martin peaked his head in as Carlisle began to shuffle through a bag with his keys and phone in it.

"Good to have you back," he said with a grin.

"It's good to be back," Carlisle told him honestly with a nod. "Thank you for thinking of me in the hiring process."

He nodded, "Of course."

The doctor's phone went off and he reached into the pocket of his khakis before smiling. "The wife." He gave a wave and headed back into the hallway.

Carlisle smirked and removed his car keys from his bag before Dr. Martin rounded back into the office.

"Carlisle," he said. A hint of angst rang in his voice.

"What is it?" his expression grew serious and Dr. Martin seemed to be struggling between listening to his wife's frantic voice on the phone, and getting the message out.

"It's Caleb," he finally said.

Carlisle's full attention was now on his co-worker.

"He was with my son and your nephew Emmett drove Chris home."

"What happened?" Carlisle asked him. He began to shuffle through his bag for his phone.

"Chris said he went to your home and your wife seems to think that Caleb's been kidnapped. A man showed up where Chris and Caleb were hanging out and now no one can find him."

Carlisle looked down at his phone and saw a single missed call from Esme with the symbol in the lower left corner indicating there was a voicemail. He immediately put the phone to his hear and listened to her message, prompting a heartfelt, "I'm sorry," from Dr. Martin.

Carlisle grabbed his things upon hearing Esme's emotional message, and looked at his co-worker.

"Go," the man said, "Emmett said he called the police already."

He nodded and placed a hand on Dr. Martin's arm as he rushed passed him with his belongings. "Thank you."

Carlisle began to run down the hall, not caring that he left his office wide open. The patient he'd saved had since left his mind and now he was sprinting toward the doors that lead out into the parking lot, while dialing Esme's number.

"Come on, come on..." He burst out into the night, heading for his car as Esme's voicemail picked up. "I'm coming home, Esme. Call me when you get this." He hung up the phone and placed it in his pocket while clicking the button on his key ring to unlock the car door.

Carlisle sped out of the parking lot, heading toward home at speeds that surpassed the legal limits. He raced toward their home, bursting through the open gates and drifting the car to a stop. He raced into the home to find no one.

"Esme! Caleb!" he called out, hearing nothing but his own echo. "Edward! Rosalie!"

No one replied and Carlisle felt a moment of hopelessness.

_Where are they? Is Caleb okay? Who took him? _

Carlisle reached into his pocket and called Esme again with no result. He then dialed Caleb's phone, leading to no rings. The phone went straight to voicemail and the sound of Caleb's voice recording made him feel weak the knees.

He didn't know which direction to run in. Caleb could been anywhere. Esme could be anywhere. His children, the rest of his family... Carlisle had no idea where any of them were.

The world began to spin and he tried to keep his head on straight. He needed to use logic to come up with an idea. The mansion walls that climbed high around him felt like a prison. They kept him in place and disallowed him to think clearly.

The phone finally went off and Carlisle reached into his pocket, hearing each sound in a sense of slow motion.

"Alice." Carlisle spoke her name into the receiver.

"He's on the way to Italy."

Esme's voice took over the phone. "Carlisle..."

"Esme, I'm sorry. I was in surgery."

"It's okay, we need to go get him."

"Was it the Volturi?" Carlisle asked her, already knowing the answer.

Esme's voice cracked. "It was Aro." She began to weep, and Carlisle's body tensed up as he struggled not to do the same. "How did he find us, Carlisle?"

"Where are you?"

Alice came back on the line upon Esme's inability to answer the question.

"We're coming back, and we'll need to board a plane to Italy tonight." She paused, "We have to go now. We have to make the eleven-thirty flight." The serious nature of her voice and matter-of-fact way she spoke made Carlisle all the more uneasy.

"I'll book them now."

"Stay at the house," Alice told him. "We're on our way."

...

"There are three seats on this flight," Carlisle told his family. He looked at Esme.

"The two of you and Delilah," Alex said, "You need to go."

Edward and Alice kept looking back and forth between one another, and Carlisle didn't have it in him to ask what they knew through the non-verbal communication they were carrying on with one another.

Rosalie and Emmett entered with bags, "Go now," she told them, "We'll take a later flight or make our way over there somehow. Go now."

Alice nodded, "We'll be right behind you."

Esme attempted to hold it together and looked at Marshall, who lingered in her arms.

"Mommy, I don't want you to go." He looked up at her and Esme felt tears slide down her face despite how terribly hard she tried to fight them off.

"We just have to go get Caleb and bring him home," she explained to him, touching her youngest son on the nose. "And then he can play in the pool with you as soon as he gets home."

"And you get to spend some time with your auntie." Rosalie grabbed him under the arms and began to tickle him, making the youngster giggle for a moment before Esme hugged him in her arms.

"Don't go, Mommy," Marshall repeated.

"I promise we'll be back soon," Esme told him. "I promise. And when we're gone, all you have to do is what?"

Marshall looked up into her eyes and spoke softly, "Look at the moon."

"Why?" She managed a smile.

"Because you can see it too... and we're under the same sky." His voice was scratchy and timid.

Esme hugged him to her again. "I love you."

"I love you."

Carlisle hugged his son tightly and kissed him on the cheek. "Don't cause trouble for Rosalie."

"I won't."

"He's never trouble." Rosalie ran a hand over the top of his head and looked at the two of them.

Esme turned to Delilah, who stood solemnly and quiet at her side. She brought the young girl to her and Delilah began to sob, though due to her immortal state was not able to produce tears.

"We're going to find him," Esme assured her.

"We have Salvatore," Emmett reminded everyone, and then looked to where he stood with Nicole. "No offense, but your father wouldn't hurt Caleb knowing you're here with us."

"He doesn't care about me," Salvatore said.

"He does," Alice argued, "I've seen it." She looked at Carlisle, "I think he's using Caleb as a type of collateral of some sort."

Carlisle nodded and linked his hand through Esme's.

"Go," Alex said to them, "Get him back."

The two of them didn't waste any more time. They bid their quick farewells and headed to Carlisle's car with Delilah.

Esme ran quickly toward the passenger door, hearing Delilah jump in the back seat.

Carlisle quickly accompanied them and leaned across the front seat, taking the side of Esme's face in his hand before planting a single kiss on her lips.

"We're going to bring him back safely," he assured her. He then glanced over his shoulder at Delilah, who looked sick from the whole ordeal. "Are you alright, Delilah?"

She nodded, though it was obvious she wasn't.

"This is going to end well," Carlisle told her. "Alice would have said otherwise."

Delilah nodded again, but couldn't respond. She tucked her knees toward her chest and Carlisle turned the key in the ignition. He linked his hand with Esme's, glanced one more time at her before peeling out of the driveway.


	18. A Room In the Tower

**Chapter 18**

Caleb stared around the room at the Volturi members who stared at him like a zoo animal. He had been sitting amongst the circle of red-eyed men and Jane for close to an hour without much talk from anyone. He didn't feel as though speaking, or asking questions, would get him anyway, but he felt the need to try. He was sure his family couldn't be far behind, though he realized they may have had no way of knowing where he was. The thought sent chills up his back.

"Why was I brought here?" The young man asked. "How did you find us?"

"Now which question shall I answer first?" Aro wondered aloud, recording something in a leather-bound journal as he spoke.

"Neither," Caius responded.

"Oh, brother I do believe he should know the danger of his actions upon his meetings with the humans."

"I never told them anything," Caleb protested, shaking his head.

"I could see that quite clearly when I read your thoughts," Aro agreed, "However, should you continue those weekly gatherings I fear the truth might slip out."

Caleb shook his head but didn't verbally respond.

"Something you disagree with?" Caius asked.

"All of it," Caleb said quietly.

Aro slowly lifted his eyes Sent from my iPhone

"Take him to the tower for now."

Vincent nodded once and the two of them simply held their hands out, telling him to follow their lead.

Caleb knew he was outnumbered, and decided it didn't matter much of he was in the master room of the stone mansion or in the tower with their wives. With that, he followed them away from the area where they all stood around and took the short journey to the tower.

Caleb anxiously took each step as he thought of Jane's wrath and how easily she could bring it down on him. He hoped silently that she wouldn't feel the need to do so.

The three of them climbed the old, stone stairwell that lead to a new section of the mansion. Despite the historic beauty of the building, Caleb couldn't bring himself to find anything pleasant about his surroundings.

Please escort yourself into the first room here on the right." Jane motioned for him to enter the room she was referring to.

Caleb couldn't yet see inside, as he was a few steps behind. Still, in those short few seconds he pictured the room in his head.

Would it appear as some torture chamber with shackles on the walls and nothing but cracked, stone seating all around? Would the heads of rebellious vampires before him line the walls? He shuddered to think of all the heinous possibilities.

Caleb rounded the corner looking as if he was ready to flinch. His squinted eyes suddenly opened wide when they landed on a ritzy, almost elegant set-up.

Flames flickered from a collection of candles that were scattered about the room; a large bed say propped in the middle in between a wall of rich mahogany bookcases without a single space unoccupied by a piece of reading material. The bedspread was a mixture of dark grays lined in gold with touches of red mixed in to give it all the more of a wealthy feel.

"Who's room is this?" Caleb couldn't help but ask.

"Yours," Vincent explained.

"Get yourself into the proper attire." Jane motioned toward an open closet where a dark robe hung.

Caleb's eyes traveled to where she pointed.

"And don't try to escape out the window or through the walls," Jane threatened, "We have the guard down there and if you draw an attention to us we won't hesitate to kill you."

Caleb looked at Jane and simply nodded. "It's not like I have long hair to hang out the window."

"What?" Vincent pressed his eyebrows together.

Jane looked at Caleb upon his joke and a moment later he dropped to his knees in pain. She then glanced to Vincent.

"It's a reference to the Rapunzle." She informed him before letting her painful gift lift away from Caleb. "Witty." She turned and walked away.

Vincent watched as Caleb entered the room before following Jane back down the stairs.

"Are we still following the plan?" He asked.

Jane turned and stared at him. "We're lucky Aro found him to make this all possible." She then nodded and answered his question. "Yes."

The two of them walked together, continuing their journey through the dark home. They traveled away from Aro, Caius, Marcus and few of the others who resided currently in the room.

"We'll let him get acquainted, and get him to feel at home," Jane explained.

"That was a nice touch with the room," Salvatore said with a nod.

"I know," she said dryly.

Vincent smirked, reminding her slightly of Caius as he did. It gave Jane just the slightest sense of joy; a feeling she hadn't felt since Alec's death.

She recognized the betrayal of Vincent's twin and began to think of him as similar to her in many ways.

Jane had found her new partner in crime, and she couldn't wait to carry out their cruel plan to get even with his brother and the Cullens.


	19. Checkmate

**Chapter 19**

The main room was attempted aside from where Caius sat in the corner, still glued to the stone bench as he flipped casually through the pages of a book. Candles lined the room, dancing off the dark stone bricks that made up the walls. The closest one illuminated the faded, slightly yellow-tinted pages of the piece of reading he'd removed from the coven's library.

Vincent approached Caius, clearing his throat as he did so.

The centuries-old Volturi leader raised his eyes to meet the young man's, keeping his jaw stern.

"Get on with whatever it is you're going to say."

"Caleb," Vincent said, "He's a threat."

"So I've heard." Caius thumbed to the next page of a book that sat on the table before him. He made it known that Vincent's words were less than appealing to him.

"You've heard how much? Has Jane told you?"

Caius closed the book and folded his hands neatly over the leather cover.

"What is it you've come to tell me?" Despite his ever polite posture, Caius's voice oozed with impatience.

"Well I'm sure you know about that secret society he was a part of," Vincent assumed.

"This news is outdated to me," Caius told him, "Leave me to my leisure time."

"There's more."

He huffed, "Well unless you'll have out with it you should find other ways to spend the midnight hour."

"Caleb pursued Athenodora," Vincent explained, "I think Jane went to break the news to my father."

Caius stared at him. "The son of Carlisle?" He chuckled, "You must be mistaken."

Vincent shook his head, "He's arrogant. He claims he could court her while staying in the tower... something about a gift he was born with..."

"He's found his mate." Caius continued to dismiss the notion.

Vincent sighed and nodded. "Very well." He turned his back on Caius and slowly made his way out of the dimly lit room, smiling to himself as he went.

Caius watched as Vincent slink away from where he sat and let his eyes scan the room. As heinous as was, Caius had been a part of something prior to joining the Volturi. He was a part of his own partnership; one that had taken a backseat to his underworld domination. He was a part of a forever bond, a true romance with the woman he saw as his dark angel.

Athenodora had never betrayed him, or thought twice of his actions. She trusted him, and he trusted her; even in her stint in the tower, Caius's wife never once complained. She never questioned when he felt the need to carry out justice, and often voiced her authentic support in his actions. They understood one another, and deep down it was something that kept him centered; kept him whole. She was never just part of his act, as he sometimes suspected Sulpicia was to Aro.

If Caius had an Achilles heel, it was Athenodora; though on the surface it could never be known. It wasn't even something that often crossed his mind, and when he was required for the dark forces of the Volturi, she was not the sole thought in his mind. He had a shared love interest: half for his wife, and half for the powerful role he played and enjoyed so much as an immortal leader. He chose to play the second half openly, knowing that his love for enforcing the law and being the one to carry it out would only be clouded by his love for Athenodora. Aro, too, wouldn't have it any other way and Caius knew it was what kept their family strong.

_That's why I may have to convince Aro to let me kill Caleb_, he thought, _just on a chance that Vincent is right._

Caius didn't take light to threats, regardless of how minute they might seem. He trusted his mate, and at first glance he couldn't see Caleb Cullen, the son of, perhaps, the two most righteous vampires the world had ever known, attempting to court Athenodora. At the same time, he didn't care whether or not Vincent's words were true or not. It gave him a reason to do what he did best.

He let his thoughts continue to wander. Killing Caleb seemed like a better idea with each passing second.

"I'd like to attempt to get Delilah to stay with us for a time." Aro entered the room, stirring Caius's thoughts.

"Using Caleb as leverage?" He straightened up and looked at his brother.

"In a sense."

"You don't believe his crimes are punishable by death?"

Aro looked at Caius whole a higher sense of seriousness. "He's an important pawn in this game; this dance we've been dancing with the Cullen family for so long."

"And I believe it's time we made a statement," Caius spoke with purpose, "We've done nothing in retribution in far too long. It's what is making people question our authority. It's putting us all at risk. We can't locate Benjamin, Tia, Amun or Kebi. They attacked us; burned half of our home and we've done absolutely nothing. It's quite disgraceful and we need to regain control of this operation."

Aro's hands came together as he continued to listen. Caius was the only one who spoke to Aro in this way. Marcus would have been the only other in allowance of such a bold request. While the three of them ruled together, Aro still considered himself as the high point of their trifecta. Still, he would never attempt to come down on Caius for expressing his thoughts. Caius's reluctance to hold back was one of his most powerful weapons. Aro needed him to be cold-hearted and ruthless on the surface.

"There has been a major power shift," he went on, "The Cullens have been on the run from us; they have your son; they have Delilah. Both were useful assets to this coven and we just gave them up. Caleb may be a pawn, but we've given up a two rooks. By taking out this pawn..."

Aro followed his metaphor, "We destroy the king and the queen."

Caius lifted one eyebrow and couldn't help but smirk. "Checkmate."


	20. Journaling

**Chapter 20**

Caius had heard Aro, Marcus and Vincent leave the home at separate times. He'd been pondering the thought of speaking with Caleb regarding Vincent's claims.

He listened and took in a deep breath through his nose to sense who was in the immediate area. Caius never doubted Athenodora, but something about Vincent's words bothered him.

_Maybe Athenodora is getting bored, _he thought, _maybe she's finally sick of my expectations that she spend all of her time locked away._

Paranoia sank in and Caius stood up. He knew that Aro wouldn't be able to see things from his point of view. He cared nothing for what Sulpicia did when he wasn't around. Caius didn't have to be a mind reader to know that. Prior to meeting this ruling family in Volterra, however, Caius had already bonded with his bride in ways that Aro was incapable of.

He huffed and marched toward the stairwell that led up into the tower. Deep down he felt it was preposterous to even consider Vincent's claims. Even if he was, indeed, correct, Caius had enough faith in Athenodora to dismiss any nagging thoughts.

Still, the little voice in the back of his head that he wanted to silence so badly was deafening.

Caleb sat in the center of the bed, draped in a black robe, with a journal in his lap, scribbling thoughts as he sat alone in the room. When Caius entered, his posture stiffened and he closed the journal and stared at the Volturi member.

"Jane and Vincent gave me the journal." Caleb swallowed hard. He lightly placed the pen down next to the personal, hand-written book.

Caius didn't say anything. He slowly crossed the room toward where Caleb sat and reached down to retrieve the diary.

Caleb looked away as he read, hoping Caius wouldn't feel the need to strip him of the only possession he had left at that point.

"Who is this to?" the Volturi member asked. He turned the book to face him and Caleb read his first page that was entitled: To My Love...

"That's in case you all decided to kill me," Caleb explained.

"Do you believe that's your fate?" Caius asked.

He shrugged and looked around the dark, wooden bookshelves that lined the room. "I'm really not sure, but I've considered the possibility."

"Have you met anyone else who resides up on this level of our home?"

Caleb's gaze drifted back to meet Caius's stare. "Briefly, but yes; your mate and Aro's."

Caius's eyes narrowed and he squinted for a brief second. "I suppose this first journal entry is directed toward Delilah?"

He nodded. "Yes." Caleb took in a deep breath, "I hope it won't have to be shared with her."

Caius thumbed to another random page, "You've written an awful lot in a little bit of time."

"I'm not sure what else to do," he explained.

There was a moment of silence between them, before Caleb asked the question he needed to know. "Are you planning on killing me, Caius?"

Caius looked at him for a moment before a slow smirk spread across his face. "Why do you ask?"

"I just want to know why I'm here."

"You were more or less taking a gamble with our identities in that school organization you were a part of. We can't take any chances." Caius kept his voice stern, "So to answer your question, I don't know if your life will end or be spared."

"Is it fair to ask you to give this journal to my family if you all decide to kill me?"

"Very well."

Caius turned and walked out, wanting to probe more about Athenodora, though he decided against it and took the stairs by two, moving down them like a phantom until he reached the bottom step. To his surprise, Aro sat in the main room where he had previously made himself comfortable.

"How's Mr. Cullen doing in the tower?" Aro asked.

"Journaling letters to loved ones," Caius replied.

"How lovely." He smiled.

Caius lowered his voice, "Vincent told me that Caleb had attempted to court Athenodora."

Aro's head snapped in curiosity and he couldn't help but grin.

"I was wondering if you could go sort through his inner thoughts."

Aro thought for a moment, eyeing the flickering candle that hung on the wall over his brother's left shoulder. He was certain that Caleb would be one of the latter on the list to do such a thing, though it amused him quite a bit.

_I wish it was true_, he found himself thinking, _then it would prompt Caius to kill Caleb and my hands would be clean._ Aro sighed as he thought. _Too bad it's probably not true._

"I'll go have a look," he offered.

"I'm not sure what to believe," Caius stated, "Although it seems out of character for a child of Carlisle's to carry on in this way, I have no reason to believe that Vincent would lie."

Aro knew the situation could potentially put his son in a bad position. He would approach his offspring at a later time, but searched his mind for the solution to his little enigma.

_I could be the one to make Vincent's claims correct_, Aro thought to himself, _How incredibly dimwitted of me to not think of it a moment sooner... I'll tell Caius that from what I saw in Caleb's mind, that Vincent's claims were right. I can let him take it from there and apologize to Carlisle for such an emotional retaliation by the hands of my brother. Maybe we'll even win back Delilah without a fight if she thinks Caleb has been unfaithful._

The synopsis rolled through Aro's mind like a dramatic novel, and he felt his mouth form a smile even wider.

"I'll get to the bottom of this rather easily," Aro informed him, "He's already put our kind in jeopardy from his place in that secret society." He sighed through his nose, "If this turns out to be true..." He shook his head slowly.

"We'll take matters from there," Caius finished his sentence. "As we've talked about... it wouldn't hurt to make a long overdue statement. The Cullens may back off for good and order will be restored."

Aro nodded back once. "Let me first... go find out the truth."


	21. At the Fountain

**Chapter 21**

"Where are they going?" Carlisle asked, speaking frantically over the phone with Alice.

"Vincent must have accidentally let his shield off," she replied. "I saw him and Jane dragging someone away from the mansion in Italy. He was wearing a dark robe with a hood and struggling to get away."

Esme could hear every word and listened intently from the driver's seat of the car she, Carlisle and Delilah had waiting for them in the Italian airport.

"Where were they going?" she asked, placing her hand on Carlisle's forearm as he drove.

"Where are they Alice?" He focused on the road while actively paying attention to both Alice and Esme. When he glanced in the rearview mirror he could see Delilah leaning forward and suddenly felt her rapid breaths on his shoulder.

"I've seen Vincent remove his hood by a fountain in Volterra," Alice explained, "There's a smaller one, not in front of the clock tower, but it seems to be to the left of a... church with a gold cross at the very top."

He thought for a moment an searched his brain for the correct location.

"I heard them refer to him by name; Caleb. They exited the mansion and took a right," Alice went on, "It's walking distance even for humans. The fountain has three cherubic looking statues in the middle."

"Thank you, Alice." Carlisle sighed and looked Esme for a brief second.

"Go," Alice instructed, "I've seen them pulling him by each arm. They're all hooded but I could see Jane's blond hair... and I've seen Vincent remove his own hood and then it goes black."

"Thanks Alice," Esme said, anxiety echoing in her voice.

"Thanks," Carlisle said again before hanging up. He meant to ask her where they were, but his mind was on one track; the track that led to Caleb.

Esme sighed in the front seat, and Carlisle grasped her hand, "We know where to find him," he reminded her, "We're not far." He then looked in the rearview mirror, "We're going to find him."

Delilah nodded, having the urge to get out and run the rest of the way but she knew there were still too many people out on the streets to do so. It was dark; past nine o'clock at night, but the city was far from dead.

Carlisle glanced up toward the sky and in the distance he saw the top of the clock tower. He pointed, "There's the center of the city. We'll be there in less than a minute."

"I can feel how close he is," Esme said aloud.

He looked at her again and took her hand in his.

"A fountain with cherubs," he said to no one in particular.

"Just drive straight through," Esme told him, "Alice said it's not far."

Carlisle nodded and squeezed her hand. The clock tower grew bigger as they closed in on their destination before it towered over them as they passed by.

Esme and Delilah both looked up at the extravagant clock tower to their right and Carlisle moved the vehicle as fast as he could without risking the lives of the occasional pedestrians that roamed the streets of Volterra.

"Look!" Esme pointed up toward a cross in the distance that peeked over the tops of several stone builings. "There's the cross that Alice was talking about."

Carlisle pushed his foot down a little firmer on the gas pedal and the car flung around a tight corner.

"I see something," Delilah exclaimed, "Up there!"

Carlisle and Esme looked up ahead. The fountain came into view that Alice had described. Even from their distance and the darkness of the hooded figures, Carlisle could make out Vincent's figure. Again, just as Alice had described, the young man removed his hood and his spiky, gelled black hair was exposed in the darkness. The features were so familiar, yet so foreign. It would be nearly impossible to distinguish Vincent from Salvatore at first glance.

"Caleb!" Esme called, "Caleb!" She put a hand over her mouth as she saw the hooded figure in between Vincent and, who she guessed was Jane, drop to his knees in agony.

The painful cries were overbearing, and Esme winced. She also felt a hint of confusion an she wasn't completely sure why.

"Caleb!" Delilah's voice echoed Esme's and their doors flew open simultaneously as Carlisle pulled the car to a halt.

He abruptly put the car in park and tailed his wife and his son's mate to the fountain.

Jane removed her hood and stared at them, coldly at first, but then let an eerie grin spread across her face. It stung worse than the lifeless, red glare.

"We've been expecting you," she replied, her icy voice ringing with apathetic victory.

"Keep your head bowed," Vincent ordered. He and Jane still held the arms of the man beneath the hood, who came out of his agony-ridden daze as Jane removed her power.

The three of them stood cautiously alert and Carlisle put his hands up.

"I just want my son," he said.

"Please," Esme added.

"Then what are you doing here?" Jane asked.

Carlisle and Esme exchanged a glance, both somewhat confused.

"Jane..." Carlisle began his plea and motioned to the man on the ground.

She smiled again. "How did you find us here?"

"Alice," he admitted.

"I see," Jane said dryly.

"Please, Jane," Esme's eyes begged as she spoke, "Please, give him back to us." She wrapped her arm around Delilah's shoulders.

"I'll come back to Italy," Delilah offered, "If you'll let him go."

Vincent looked at Jane and the two of them shared a hearty fit of laughter.

"How poetic," Vincent said, still chuckling to himself.

"Please." Esme looked at the young man.

"I don't know why you're here asking us to see your son," Vincent told them.

Carlisle looked him in the eye, "I know you're hurt, Vincent, but hurting Caleb isn't going to fix that."

Jane turned to Vincent momentarily before returned her gaze to meet Carlisle's. "Like we've said, I don't know why you're here."

He was about to respond but Jane continued.

"Stand him up, please, Vincent."

Vincent did as she asked, and looked in their direction.

"It appears as though Alice's vision may have steered you in the wrong direction," Jane told them. She turned to Vincent again, who removed the hood of the man who stood in between them on cue.

Carlisle's posture stiffened and Esme's haunted expression made the Volturi members smirk in triumph. The person wasn't Caleb; he was a member of the guard who appeared to have painfully been paying his dues as a member of the elite coven by taking Jane's wrath.

"Where's Caleb?" Esme asked, a second before Delilah could.

Carlisle's eyes closed for a moment as he realized the successful distraction that Jane, Vincent and most likely the rest of the Volturi had fooled them with.

"Caleb..." Jane purposely hesitated for an extended period of time. She then pointed toward the very top of the tower that could still be seen from their position by the fountain. "He's... up there."

Esme didn't hesitate. She grabbed Delilah's hand and took off in the direction of the tower. Carlisle followed, hoping that they could trust Jane's directions. As if reading his mind, Jane threw a morbidly true message into his ear as he ran. The phrase was spoke so softly it could've been mistaken for something sweet.

"Where else are you going to go?"


	22. Tragedy

**Chapter 22**

Aro approached Caius upon speaking with Caleb. He knew there was not an ounce of adultery-ridden thoughts in Caleb's mind, though he decided to play the game in order to get his way.

He had hoped the distraction brought on by Vincent and Jane would be picked up by Alice's vision in order to extend the plot to kill Caleb with Caius. There was no other alternative, he decided. Caius was correct. The respect their coven once claimed had greatly diminished. The Cullens had fooled him once in the wake of the false allegations of Carlisle's and Alice's death. In turn, their home had been nearly destroyed, only getting back to normal as of the more recent days. Even worse, they hadn't been able to capitalize from it by bringing Benjamin to death from his part. The immortal world was beginning to disregard the order they'd claimed. Felix, Demtri and Alec were all dead.

"Brother..." Aro strolled calmly toward Caius, "Caleb will be down in a moment."

"Did you get a reading from his thoughts?" Caius asked.

He nodded, "Indeed, I did."

"And?"

"It was just as you suspected," Aro lied, "He's had adulterous thoughts of Athenodora, though I must say he hasn't yet approached her with the notion."

Caius's jaw clenched just slightly. "He's thought of approaching her?"

Aro nodded, feeding him with the lie he knew would encourage Caius to go along with his plot; not that he needed any additional motivation.

"What are your thoughts?" Caius asked.

Aro could see what he wanted without having to ask. "I believe you and I are on the same page. We can make an example out of him."

"Agreed."

"Sulpicia!" Aro hardly raised his voice in calling up the hundreds of stairs that rose to his wife's lair. A moment later she waltzed into the room with Caleb on her arm.

The both wore black robes, though hers was tightly fitted and Caleb's hung more baggy. In his free hand he held the journal that they had given to him.

"Come with us, Caleb." Aro's voice was coaxing, "That'll be all Sulpicia."

She turned, not speaking a word or even making eye contact with her husband. A second later she disappeared.

Caleb turned his head partway to watch her go.

"Eyes forward," Caius instructed.

Caleb didn't argue. He did as he was told and marched forward in between the two Volturi leaders.

Aro was flighty and fought off a smirk while Caius was stone faced and kept his pace just a step ahead of the two of them.

"Where are we going?" Caleb asked.

"It's to my understanding that your parents have arrived," Aro explained. "I got word from Jane."

"Jane has seen them?"

He nodded once and continued walking. "We aren't going far."

Caleb swallowed hard. He didn't like the tone of Aro's voice. It was too confident, yet relaxed at the same time.

"Will I get to see them?" Caleb asked him.

"But, of course," Aro stated, "They've come all this way."

Caleb felt butterflies develop in his stomach and trickle up into his chest. Something wasn't right, and he knew it.

"They're alive, right?" he managed to ask.

Aro let out a single, high-pitched laugh. "Of course they're alive, Caleb."

He sighed, not knowing if he was being truthful but decided to focus on the positive potential outcome.

The musty smell of the old tunnels were soon accompanied by another smell; something positive and familiar. It was the scents of his parents and Delilah.

Caleb almost smiled, but he couldn't. They were all in danger. The only thing he knew for sure was that now they at least had four people on their side.

_Not that we could take on the entire Volturi_, he thought solemnly.

"Light the fire." Aro's voice was unnervingly soothing, but the message was menacing.

Caleb was confuse until he hear a sudden rush of flames, and then a glow featured on the wall as they were about to round the bend to a new portion of the brick corridor.

"What's going on?" Caleb asked. Anxiety brewed in chest, though his voice prompted his mother to reply from the other side.

"Caleb!" she called.

He took in a deep breath, now feeling Caius and Aro clutch both of his arms as they rounded the corner.

A fire blazed high, reaching for the elegant bricks above it. On the other side, Jane and Vincent stood snugly with Carlisle, Esme and Delilah. Behind them stood at least twenty others in hoods, all members of the guard.

"Don't hurt him," Esme called, "Please."

Caleb looked at Aro, "Don't do anything to Delilah or my parents," he pleaded quietly.

"You have my word," Aro spoke with a nod.

The two of them shared a look and Caleb knew now what was going to happen.

Caius's hand twisted on Caleb's wrist, bringing him down to his knees from the pain.

"Aro!" Carlisle shrieked.

"Caleb!" Delilah called simultaneously.

"We have a very difficult task at hand today," Aro spoke, "Our coven... we've been challenge; attacked... worse."

"Don't do this, Aro," Carlisle said, shaking his head.

"Carlisle," he went on, "This will, indeed, ruin whatever remaining friendship we've established over the years... but it's something that has to be done."

"It's time you pay for your crimes," Caius stated coldly. He twisted more violently on Caleb's arm, making him wince before it popped off.

"No! Caius! Stop!" Esme went to leap through the fire but a Volturi member grabbed her around the waist.

"Pain." Jane said dryly, dropping Carlisle to his knees in agony as he fought to follow his wife's first move.

Vincent held Delilah in place, now cupping a hand over her mouth as she watched Caleb's inevitable fate.

"Caleb!" Esme called out again.

He lifted his eyes to his mother for a moment, knowing what the next moment would bring. He then looked at Delilah, locking eyes with her and mouthing the words, 'I love you'. His journal dropped to the floor in front of him.

Aro gave a quick head nod to Caius, who looked down at the suffering young man.

"Give the afterlife our regards," he said coldly, before removing Caleb's head and tossing it into the fire.


	23. The Weather

**Chapter 23**

"I've seen him die in multiple ways," Alice felt her throat tighten, and glanced at Alexandra out of the corner of her eye. "There is only one scenario that plays out in his favor and it doesn't seem very likely."

Jasper's hand clutched Alice's as they paraded through a crowded airport in Italy.

"Has it happened yet?" Edward asked. His voice was frantic and full of angst. He had seen first hand what may have already happened in Alice's mind. There were multiple gruesome potential endings to their journey to Volterra.

"I don't know, Edward," she said, "I'm sorry."

"It can't," Emmett commented, marching behind them furiously with Rosalie at his side. "The Volturi would have to prepare for a war if they did that. They wouldn't risk it."

"They're highly considering it," Alice countered, shaking her head, "If it hasn't been done already."

"Are there any telltale signs?" Bella asked, "Something that will indicate whether they've gone through with it or not?"

"What do you mean?"

Their oversized group plowed through the airport, not caring who they bumped or pushed through to get out of the building.

"Remember when the Volturi were coming for us when Renesme was young?" she elaborated, "When you said you saw the snow sticking to the ground?"

Before Alice could answer, Edward did. "Rain," he said aloud, edging himself around a tall, thin man with a backpack. "I've seen rain in all of your visions."

"I screwed up the one with Jane and Carlisle and Esme." Guilt plagued Alice's mind. "I thought Jane was towing Caleb away but it wasn't him."

"Was it raining?" Alexandra asked. Her phone continually sounded off, though she didn't answer it despite knowing it was Masen and Leah. They were far behind the rest of them due to their recent relocation to be with their daughter.

"Yes," Edward and Alice responded at the same time.

"Well if we go outside and it's not raining then it didn't happen yet." Her voice was hopeful, and it appeared as though her thoughts hadn't gone completely off the deep end like most of them. "Caleb is going to be okay."

Michael slipped his hand through hers and they two of them shared a look as they barreled toward the exit.

"Um, excuse me!" a young woman with an English accent eyed Rosalie as she bumped her in their hurry.

"Let it go." Emmett, like the rest of them, linked his hand with hers and winked as they crossed through a tunnel that lead toward the exit.

"No rain, no rain," Alexandra said to herself as they got closer and closer to the outside.

Nicole and Salvatore remained silent as they walked, but guilt clung to Salvatore's face.

"Can you contact him?" Edward asked, "Salvatore, can you contact your father?"

"I've tried," he explained, shaking his head.

"What if there _is_ rain?" Alexandra asked Alice, "Does that mean..." She failed to finish her thought.

"That's not the be-all, end-all," Alice explained.

"What's the good scenario?" Her eyes clung to the large set of steel doors in the distance.

"It involves Benjamin."

Bella glanced up at Edward, who seemed to be reading the back of Alice's head as they walked.

"It's only been occurring as of recently," she explained.

"That means Caleb must still be alive," Edward concluded.

"How do you know?" Jasper asked.

"If it's a new play on the scenario, something of just the past few minutes then Caleb can't be dead." He looked like he was both trying to convince himself that that was the truth, and truly believed the logic. "Right?" He pulled Bella up a few feet to meet Alice's gaze.

"I mean... it makes sense."

Alexandra continued to pray for no rain as the doors grew closer.

"Get out of the way." Impatience rang in Rosalie's voice as they struggled to make it down the narrowing corridor past people towing and dragging luggage.

"It _does_ make sense," Nicole said with a nod, "How could a new scenario where Caleb_ doesn't _die come into play if he was already dead?"

The puzzle in Alice's head was beginning to take it's toll on her. She closed her eyes for a moment and Jasper looked ready to catch her if she stumbled.

"It's okay, Alice." He grew closer and made sure their daughter was okay at his other side.

Alexandra looked to Edward, "If it's raining, that doesn't necessarily mean he's dead, does it?"

He shook his head, "No. It just seems to be raining in all of the things Alice has seen." He tried to be reassuring, "We're going to do everything we can, Alex."

She nodded back, remaining strong, but with each step closer to the doors she appeared more outwardly anxious. Her free hand was clenched into a ball and her jaw was tight, accompanying her stiff posture.

Edward felt overwhelmed, himself, by the collection of thoughts that were brewing around him. Worst of all, he didn't know what Carlisle and Esme would do if something tragic were to happen to Caleb. He knew that eternity was a long time to go without tragedy, but he also knew that they were the least deserving of being stripped of their children, particularly so soon after having them. Edward prayed they would make it in time. Caleb's death would forever impact his paternal figures and he couldn't bare the thought of hearing their inner agony forever. It would destroy a part of each of them forever.

A group of teenagers stopped in front of them, just a few feet from the door to take a group picture.

"Get out of the way!" Alexandra's calm demeanor finally cracked slightly, as she longed to see the weather that awaited them.

Emmett wasted no time. He used his broad stature to break through their group, drawing looks of disapproval from the Italian youngsters. It gave them all the access they needed and Alexandra rushed to the front of the pack where Emmett pushed open big, double doors.


	24. Question to readers of this story

**So I have written two outcomes to this story and the next few chapters will be crucial. I was hoping to hear some opinions:**

Outcome one: Tragedy will occur, but it will later lead to a bittersweet triumph

Outcome two: There will be no tragedy, but a major conflict will ensue later.

**Sorry to be vague, but I don't want to spoil it completely. Any thoughts? (no, I could not make the decision on my own). Thanks for your input!**


	25. Whirlwind

**Hey all! I apologize for the long delay. My boyfriend and I were on a mini vacation/out of state family wedding. Thanks so much for your input. I have made my decision on the outcome, but am contemplating posting an "alternate" ending later on if anyone happened to be interested. Thanks again for the input to my question.**

**Chapter 24**

Alexandra nearly closed her eyes shut because she didn't want to know what was on the other side of the double doors. She had a number of overlapping questions.

_Was it raining? Was it not? If it was, did that mean that her brother was dead?_

"No rain." Emmett's voice registered in her mind before any of her other senses could. It was music to her ears, and she glanced up into the darkening sky that threatened a terrible storm that hadn't yet broke.

"Oh my gosh." Alex put a hand on her chest in a sense of overwhelming relief and Michael tugged on her hand.

"Come on," he urged, leaning in for a second to kiss her forehead. "Let's go save your brother."

...

"Sulpicia!" Aro hardly raised his voice in calling up the hundreds of stairs that rose to his wife's lair. A moment later she waltzed into the room with Caleb on her arm.

The both wore black robes, though hers was tightly fitted and Caleb's hung more baggy. In his free hand he held the journal that they had given to him.

"Come with us, Caleb." Aro's voice was coaxing, "That'll be all Sulpicia."

She turned, not speaking a word or even making eye contact with her husband. A second later she disappeared.

Caleb turned his head partway to watch her go.

"Eyes forward," Caius instructed.

Caleb didn't argue. He did as he was told and marched forward in between the two Volturi leaders.

Aro was flighty and fought off a smirk while Caius was stone faced and kept his pace just a step ahead of the two of them.

"Where are we going?" Caleb asked.

Before Aro could respond, he lifted his eyes toward the high ceilings and squinted as he listened.

Caius glanced at his brother and Caleb's eyes shifted nervously back and forth.

_What's that noise?_ he thought to himself, seeing the visibly displeased, yet confused, Volturi members.

The sound of a thousand winds howling sounded off through the dark mansion, whisking mysteriously through their eardrums.

Caleb glanced upward, and a moment later the sound of brick slamming against brick echoed from behind them.

Aro was the first to spin around, though Caius and Caleb were not far behind in the action.

The brothers looked at one another, both stern-faced and Aro whipped his arm around to march in the direction they'd just come from.

Members of the guard began to gather in the main room that sat adjacent to the tower.

"What is going on?" Caius demanded angrily, holding Caleb by the arm.

The line of robed immortals all appeared equally confused as they all continued to look upward.

More bricks began to fall in more rapid fashion, causing the line Volturi members to back away.

Aro took in a deep breath. At the same time, a large hole was cast through the highest point of the mansion, shattering the glass from the fragile, elegant ceiling above.

Caleb squinted as bits of glass fell down upon them, and rain began to pour in through the large opening above as if the heavens had quite literally opened up.

"I sense an intruder," Aro said calmly.

Caius breathed in deeply through his nose, closing his eyes for a moment as he did so. When he reopened them, he knew that he and Aro were on the same page.

"Surround the estate," Aro demanded of his front line. He looked calmly to his brother, making eye contact with Caleb for a brief second, "We're being attacked."

"Benjamin." Caius clenched his jaw.

"It's an opportunity we've been longing for, for some time."

"What about the boy?" He looked at Caleb, who appeared concerned, yet calmer than he probably should have been on the surface.

"We've got bigger matters," Aro told him. He hesitated. "Agreed?"

"Agreed."

"Try to stop us," Aro warned, "And I will take the first opportunity I have to kill Delilah."

Caleb didn't argue. He had no intent to rebuttal.

A moment later, the two Volturi members had disappeared, following their guard members outside to seek the manipulator of the weather.

Caleb felt like he couldn't move. He wanted to, but he couldn't make his legs move. In the center of the room beneath the rain and ruin, he stood paralyzed, staring up into the storm that brewed above him.

"Caleb..." His voice was whispered from across the room. The voice was happy, sad and desperate at the same time.

He turned, knowing her voice by heart and Delilah ran up to where he stood, still clad in a Volturi-style dark robe.

"Delilah." Caleb opened his arms and welcomed her into them, hugging her as close to his body as possible.

She sobbed dryly against him and grasped the back of his head with a force that would have normally made him wince.

Caleb took an extra moment to recognize his parents, who looked equally as eager to run in his direction and bombard him with affection, though the two of them allowed Delilah the first moment.

"I love you," she gasped into his ear.

"I love you, too." His arms hung loosely around her, but he buried his face into her neck for a moment before glancing up to meet the eyes of his mother.

Esme couldn't fully contain herself. She marched up to where they stood and embraced her son, kissing him on the cheek and running a hand through his hair.

"Let's get away from here," Carlisle urged. He couldn't fully hide the emotion in his eyes, but tried to be logical for everyone's sake. "Jane and Vincent may be back for us."

"They all left," Caleb said. He glanced up toward the open ceiling again, "Someone's attacking them. We need to go." He nodded at his father's request.

"Who is it?" Carlisle asked.

"I'll explain later." He shook his head and wiped rain water away from his face. "I need to get out of here, Dad."

His father nodded and Caleb took Delilah's hand. He hugged Esme with his free arm and then Carlisle lead the way out of the Volturi lair.

Esme's phone rang, and she answered it upon seeing Alice's name while they ran away.

"Alice!" she called out loud.

"Is he alive?" Alice shouted, "Is Caleb alive?"

Esme fought off tears, but smiled as she responded, "Yes. Yes, he's alive."

Alex's voice could be heard in the background, as well as a few others and Esme felt like her heart had been torn from her chest and put back again. "We're leaving now."

"Should we come to Volterra?" Alice asked.

"No." Carlisle responded, able to hear Alice's frantic voice from where he ran beside Esme. "Tell them we'll meet them on the countryside that overlooks the city. You can see the tower's east side."

Esme began to translate, but Alice cut her off. "Got it! See you all there!"

The four of them ran out into the rain, away from the chaos.

Carlisle glanced over his shoulder as they broke away from the city. His eyes widened when he noticed a whirlwind, a type of tornado that could never occur in a place like Italy. Benjamin's name crossed his mind, but Caleb's voice pulled him back.

"Let's go, Dad!" he pleaded, "I want to get out of here."

Esme looked at her husband, and he turned to face them, grabbing her hand before running as fast as he could to where Alice and the rest of the family were waiting for them.


	26. One of Them

**Chapter 25**

Alice's face was what kept Carlisle from bolting back into the city to find out if his suspicions were correct and Benjamin was involved in what had just occurred in Volterra. Her face was filled with pain-stricken relief when she fixed her eyes on Caleb.

For a moment, her eyes closed and her hand drifted subconsciously toward her chest. In the center of her throat, Carlisle could see her swallow hard once before her eyes flickered open.

Alice wasn't overly emotional, but at that moment it appeared as though she could cry at any moment - though she didn't. She held it together like she typically did and pulled Caleb to her first, hugging him hard.

"Oh, Caleb, I love you," she said quietly.

Carlisle felt Esme's hand tighten around his forearm as he kept his eyes on the interaction between the two of them. Her words were too intense, and too frief-ridden dispite the fact that the four of them had made it to safety on the hills of Italy.

Alice made way for Alexandra, who was unable to hide her emotions. Tears sprawled down her cheeks and she sobbed with a smile as she hugged her brother.

"I thought you were dead," she said loudly, "I was about to push every person in the airport out of the way to get to you in time."

Caleb smiled for a brief second but let it quickly fade. He turned to Delilah, and remembered Aro's words.

"I want to get out of here," he replied, "I want to go back to Minnesota."

Carlisle looked back again at the city.

"You're right," Edward told him, reading his thoughts.

"Benjamin?"

He nodded in confirmation.

"Wait, what?" Caleb asked.

"Benjamin is here," Alice explained, "He's responsible for the hurricane."

Winds and rain whipped around them; only the outskirts of the storm but intense none-the-less.

"We've got to go back," Carlisle said.

"No," Caleb said, clutching his father's free arm. "No, you can't."

"He's right," Alice said, shaking her head.

"He may have saved us," Carlisle argued, shaking his head.

"If you go back-" Caleb began, but Salvatore stepped forward.

"I'll go," he replied.

"No!" Nicole shouted, wiping thick strands of wet hair from her eyes.

"They won't hurt me," Salvatore continued, "It's my... family."

"What are you going to do?"

He looked at Carlisle, but answered Nicole's question. "I can shield him," he explained, "I'll take him away from Volterra and they won't be able to track him."

"If you can even get to him first," Jasper said, shaking his head.

"I'm the best bet we've got." He looked Jasper in the eye, "With the least amount of risk, and the best weapon for this particular situation."

No one could argue. He was right. Salvatore possessed a type of shield that blocked the scent of other vampires in his presence. He was Aro's son, and was confident that his father was not cold-blooded enough to kill him. He was their best option.

Jasper looked at Nicole, seemingly looking for approval of the situation. "He's right."

"No." She repeated, shaking her head again.

Salvatore pulled her close, "I'll be okay, Nicole."

"What if-"

He kissed her once, "Trust me."

The two of them stared into each other's eyes for an intense moment before her eyes drifted downward, signaling she was giving in to his requests.

Salvatore tilted her chin upwards so her eyes met his again. "I'll meet you in Minnesota."

"I'm waiting here for you."

He shook his head, "Go back with your family."

"Not without you."

"Trust me." He placed a hand on her face, "If this is what I can do for everyone... let me do it."

Nicole wanted to throw a tantrum, but she knew it was a juvenile tactic that would get them all nowhere.

Salvatore pulled her body against his again in an intimate hug before kissing her on the cheek, and then again on the lips.

"I'll see you soon, my love." He touched her face again, looked around at the rest of the Cullens and then took off toward the madness in Volterra.

Nicole took a few steps forward with Jasper instinctively mirroring her strides.

"He'll be okay," her father assured her. "He's one of them."

She abruptly turned to him, "He's _not_ one of them."

Alice moved forward and hugged her daughter, who began to sob.

"We've got to get out of here," Edward said aloud, "What's to stop them from coming this way? We don't have Salvatore's shield to protect us out here." He looked at Carlisle, and then Caleb.

His father flashed a concerned expression, seeing the same look on Edward's face that had been on Alice's. He had seen her visions first hand, and Carlisle knew that something awful had taken place in the realm of 'what-if's'. While a curious part of him felt like he had to know, he wasn't quite sure that he wanted to. On the same note, he felt Edward and Caleb were right. They needed to leave. A part of him, however, had a heavy heart for Salvatore.

"He's their family, too," Edward reminded him, attemping to lighten Carlisle's thoughts. "And we need to get Caleb out of here."

Carlisle locked his eyes with Edward's, and he knew how serious his words were.

"Let's go," he said with a nod.

Esme looked at Carlisle, then Edward and the rest of their family, ending with Caleb. She convinced herself not to cry as she saw her son plant a kiss on Delilah's lips, and then touch his forehead to hers for a moment before they took off running behind Edward's and Alice's lead.

She knew that Aro had a purpose for taking Caleb halfway around the world. It was a thought she couldn't shake, and she wondered what the outcome could have been if they hadn't gotten to Italy on time, or if Benjamin's whirlwind didn't take down the top of the Volturi mansion.

Edward looked over his shoulder at Esme as they ran, and more than ever she wanted to know what could have happened. Still, she knew it was no time to attempt to talk. They would have a long ride back across the Atlantic Ocean. Esme could speak to Edward on the plane.


	27. Desert Bound

_I apologize for the extremely long delay in between chapters. I was on vacation from work for a week and we took off for a few days, and work has been hectic because the school year is wrapping up. And I just turned 30 so there were a lot of surprise festivities over the past week. ( my students guessed I was turning 23-26 YES!) LOL Anyway, I've been having writing withdrawals! Twilight4ever thanks for all the reviews/suggestions. I just can't get in touch with you because you're logged in a guest._

**Chapter 26**

Benjamin felt the pressure closing in on him. There were too many Volturi members in seek of him, despite the fact that he had made his way away from Volterra. He felt them closing in; members of the guard who were bred for chasing down intruders or threats to the royal family.

_I'm going to die_, he thought. _Alice told me I would be safe._

His momentary loss in faith for his ally was cut off when he was tackled to the ground. A pair of hands grasped him firmly and Benjamin began to struggle.

"Shut up!" a voice whispered loudly.

The next three seconds were a blur. Benjamin felt tree branches clawing and snapping him in the face before the feel of a strong, passing breeze drifted along his face. Rain continued to pelt him and a strike of lightening flashed in the sky, causing his eyes to widen just a bit.

_Where am I?_ he thought before looking around. In the distance he could see the clock tower, half destroyed, and continuing to crumble slightly.

A hand covered his mouth, "Quiet." The male's voice whispered in his ear and Benjamin suddenly realized that he and the stranger behind him were at the top of a tree on the countryside overlooking the city.

"The scents are mixing," a voice came from below.

Benjamin's eyes glanced downward but he could see nothing. He had to rely on the stranger.

Salvatore turned Benjamin to face him and put a finger up to his lips, continuing to signal to be quiet.

"Go south!" Caius' voice commanded, "He's probably followed the Cullens' scents to blend in."

The sound of rustling feet began the dominant ring in Benjamin's ears. He closed his eyes to intensify the sounds below.

"Dead or alive?" a stray Volturi member asked.

"Dead!" Caius responded enthusiastically, "I've had enough of the time wasting and delays."

Benjamin re-opened his eyes, staring directly into Salvatore's. He wasn't wholly confident in his safety, though was beginning to feel just marginally at ease at the fact that the mystery twin was masking him from the chaos below.

Hours passed, and the two of them remained patiently blended in the wooded area of Italy that stood protectively on the outskirts of Volterra. Rain continued to fall, pelting them both as harshly as it could. Thunder continued to play in the background; mother nature's unfriendly rhythm of death and destruction.

It wasn't until the first glow of sunlight began to creep above the horizon for the opening of another day that Salvatore finally spoke, breaking and endless night of deafening silence.

"We're going now," he said quietly.

Benjamin continued to stare at him, and Salvatore's hand still covered his mouth.

The two of them listened, though they knew that the Volturi had moved on to other parts of the country, or possibly beyond.

"Where?" Benjamin asked.

"America."

"Why did you do this?"

Salvatore didn't answer. He dropped down through the tree branches as quietly and swiftly as possible.

Benjamin decided he had no other options, and decided to follow his gut and follow Salvatore into the unknown.

...

The Cullens were almost back to their destination, though had another hour's time before they landed back in Hartford, Connecticut. It was the closest and earliest flight they had managed to get.

Others on board the flight were edgy, often glancing at members of the scattered Cullen family. Their outwardly anxious behavior and mannerisms were difficult to mask, particularly in the children.

Nicole had asked her mother a countless number of times what was happening with Salvatore. Even when she assured her he was on his way to meet them, she wasn't fully content.

Esme and Delilah sat on either side of Caleb, with Carlisle in the row in front of them. He did his best to remain neutral, so not to distract or worry those around him. Ever so often he would look back to make eye contact with Esme, or give her a half-smile to reassure her that their son was alright. He desperately wanted to speak with Alice or Edward, knowing they had insight that he needed to know.

Alice looked over her shoulder, three rows ahead of Carlisle, and made eye contact with him. She touched her daughter's hand and looked at Jasper, who sat on her left side by the window.

"I'll be right back," she said quietly.

She unbuckled her seatbelt and rose, crossing over to Carlisle's row. The young man next to him glanced up and flashed a cheesy grin as Alice smirked at him.

"Hi," she said in a perky tone.

"Hello." He chuckled and adjusted a pair of glasses that were just slightly too big for the frame of his face.

"I was wondering if it would... be possible," she smirked and hesitated, "Could you and I switch seats for a moment? I was at a medical convention with the guy sitting next to you and I want to ask him a few questions about the seminar we attended."

The man's eyes widened, and his dimples shined through as he continued to flash a boyish grin.

"It'll only be five-ten minutes tops."

He shrugged and nodded, "Sure. I mean, yeah." He chuckled and adjusted his glasses again, "That should work."

"I didn't eat my peanuts or drink my soda," Alice told him, "You can have them if you want. I'm allergic... so technically you're kind of saving my life in the process."

The young man chuckled again, "Well, I guess I'll be a hero if I switch then."

Alice nodded and he unbuckled his seatbelt. "Thanks so much," she said to him, still smiling.

"Not at all a problem." He rose from his seat and motioned for her to sit before slinking into the seat next to where Nicole and Jasper sat. He looked over at Alice once before settling in and enjoying the peanuts she left on the seat.

Alice peaked to the third seat in the row where she and Carlisle sat, and noticed the middle-aged man near the window was sleeping. The two kids in front of them had their ear buds in, and Alice could hear every word of the rock and rap songs they were listening to.

Carlisle looked at Alice intently, unaware of what information she had in store for him.

"I told Benjamin to go to Volterra," she said quietly.

Esme, Caleb and Delilah stirred slightly behind them.

"He was close to the area," Alice went on, "Close enough where he could get there in time."

"How did-"

"I've been keeping tabs on him," she claimed, "And we were... very lucky that he was that close. I assured him that he would be fine; that he would survive if he made the choice to use his wrath on the Volturi home."

"Will he survive?" Carlisle asked, "I had a guilty conscience leaving Salvatore to find him."

"If you were the one to go, he wouldn't have made it," Alice assured him, "So please let that ease your mind. Salvatore was the _only _one who could have made this work."

He nodded.

"Think of us all as chess pieces," she went on, "Everyone has their role to play."

"Right." He looked down.

"I strategized this to save Caleb," Alice explained, "We're just lucky that Benjamin was so close." She looked him in the eye, "Caleb was very close to being killed. Aro tricked Caius into plotting his death." She continued to be blunt, "I saw what would have happened without Benjamin, and it would have destroyed you, Carlisle."

Alice looked back and saw Esme take in a deep breath.

"But he's okay," she added, "We're okay... and Salvatore is getting Benjamin out of the country as we speak."

"Will they come for us again?" Carlisle whispered.

"I'll have to see what they decide when they realize that Benjamin is out of their reach again."

"Where is the rest of his coven?"

"In Europe... somewhere."

Carlisle swallowed hard and took in a deep breath through his nose. "Are they safe?"

"For now."

He gave her a look.

"The Volturi don't know where they are."

"They'll need protection," Carlisle said, "They'll need to get in touch with Benjamin somehow so they know he's alright."

"We'll figure it out once we're all together... Salvatore and Benjamin too."

He nodded.

"I think we should go to a place where the Volturi won't think to look for us... and possibly a place where Benjamin will feel comfortable."

Carlisle pressed his eyebrows together and looked at her.

"The desert," she explained, "Southern California. It's the most random place I could think of... and although it sounds contradictory, the sunniest."

He agreed with a nod, "How will we get in touch with them?"

"I told Salvatore to call us when they get into the country."


	28. The Waiting Game

**Chapter 27**

The dessert night was cold, and though the Cullens couldn't feel the air in the same way humans could, they could still sense the difference.

Twelve hours had passed since they'd arrived. There was not a soul in sight, though the constant thud of the bass from speakers blaring music far away in the distance could faintly be heard. Masen and Leah had been contacted and reverted their course, meeting up with the family briefly to look after Marshall and Charlie, at the family's request. Neither argued, though Masen expressed his want to stay with the rest of them for added protection. Upon Carlisle and Esme's logical words, he parted with Leah and the two of them headed back north.

"They shouldn't be long," Alice assured everyone, referring to Salvatore and Benjamin. "They'll be here before sunup."

"I hope so. It's freezing." Emmett half-smiled and attempted to lighten the mood with little success. He glanced down at Rosalie who sat under his arm and tightened his grip on her shoulders just slightly.

Caleb approached his mother, looking around the miles and miles of emptiness. "I'm sorry," he told her, glancing down toward the dusty landscape beneath his shoes.

"For what?" Esme asked him in disbelief, "You've done nothing." She pulled him to her in a hug, "You've done nothing wrong, honey."

"I was a part of that club at school-"

"Aro doesn't care about that," she told him, "He took you because he has other intentions. We're just happy you're okay Caleb."

"I had a gut feeling that..."

"That what?" Esme wanted to hear what he was going to say. She knew what he was going to say, and also why he stopped mid-sentence.

"I thought I was going to die." He raised his eyebrows with an unusually calm demeanor for the topic at hand. "I mean... I did." Caleb sighed and laughed almost nervously. "I was content though."

Esme didn't know what to say. She just stared at him and Caleb eventually smiled.

"Mom, it's okay," he told her, "I'm fine... I'm just kind of being honest, I guess... too honest."

She hugged him, "There's no such thing as too honest." Her hand traveled up and down his back and she sighed.

"Sorry," he repeated.

"Shh." She quickly silenced him and continued to hug him for an extra couple of seconds.

Caleb smiled as they each pulled back. "Mind if I take a stroll with Delilah?"

"To where?"

"Not far..."

Esme made eye contact with Alice, who sat next to Jasper.

"It's okay," Alice assured her, "One-hundred percent."

Caleb and Esme looked back at one another and Esme nodded.

He smirked shyly and glanced at Delilah who stood a few feet away talking to Nicole and Mackenzie.

Esme watched as her son whispered into her ear before the two of them linked hands and strolled a little bit away from the group.

A gust of wind swept over the dessert of Southern California and Emmett pulled up the hood on his sweatshirt. Rosalie tugged on the front of his shirt and nodded. "Why don't we walk a little?"

He nodded and motioned in the direction of the thumping speakers.

"Music might be a good distraction for now," she agreed.

The two of them looked over their shoulders at the people in the immediate area before the two of them walked slowly away.

Carlisle made eye contact with Esme as he wrapped up a conversation with Edward and Bella.

Edward was about to urge him on to go talk to her, but Carlisle politely excused himself from the conversation to be with his wife.

She couldn't hide the fact that she was hurting from Caleb's encounter in Italy, and more recently his claims that he felt as if he was going to die while in the presence of Aro and the rest of the Volturi. The fact that he felt content with it all made her even more emotional.

Carlisle walked up and put his arms around Esme without initially saying a word.

She sighed and closed her eyes, engulfing herself in his scent as her face laid against the fabric of shirt.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes." She said. Esme toyed with one of the buttons near the top of his shirt and then looked up to meet his waiting stare. "Caleb said... he said he was okay with the thought that he thought he was going to die."

Carlisle kept his eyes locked with hers, squinting lightly and breathing in once through his nose.

Esme looked up at him and shook her head. "I don't like that he was so okay with it. I think he's been through too much and he's accepted that it's almost happened so many times that..." she searched for the right words, "...that it's bound to happen."

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and pulled her gray, zip-up jacket so it was more snug around her upper body. He then kissed her on the forehead, not having the appropriate response to make her feel at ease.

Another wind whipped through the dessert, sending sand in all directions.

"When is he coming Mom?" Nicole asked Alice from somewhere close by in the darkness.

"Soon Nic," Alice responded.

Carlisle looked down at Esme before she could comment on their conversation and he planted a kiss on her lips. He then proceeded to repeat the action several times before making the sensual gesture last an extra couple of seconds the final time.

"I love you," he said quietly. "I should be telling you that every single day."

Esme sighed and swallowed hard as she continued to look up at him.

Carlisle went on, "I love you; I love our family and every day I want eternity more than the day before. I need us... I need you, I need the kids, I need our whole family."

"Me too." Esme nodded and let a single tear drop, attempting to wipe it away discreetly.

He traced his thumb along the side of her face under her eye and then leaned in to kiss her again. Esme kissed him back for a moment before the two of them hugged.

Carlisle placed a soothing hand on the back of her head and kept her against him.

"I think there's been a change of plans," Alice's voice spoke aloud.

Nicole's frantic voice came next. "What? Why? What is it?"

"Salvatore is still coming," she said, "Benjamin changed his mind..."

Carlisle looked down at Esme, and the two of them stood together and simply listened as Alice's claims progressed.

"Are we safe?" Jasper asked.

"We can relocate," Edward added, and then quickly changed his tune. "Wait... he's going back to Volterra?"

"It was his choice," Alice explained. "He'd decided against it but he worked up the courage to go back."

"For what?" Bella asked.

Esme's hand tightened around Carlisle's collar and his chest heaved up and down once.

Alice concluded her vision. "He's going to finish what he started," she explained, "And he's not doing it alone."


	29. Rebellion

**Chapter 28**

Salvatore rushed into the dessert, spotting the frames of all of the Cullens in the distance. Instantly, he recognized Nicole's outline as she too ran full speed toward him.

"Salvatore!" she jumped into the air nearly knocking him over in a forceful hug that left them both off-balance. Nicole held onto him tightly, grasping the back of his shirt as her cheek caressed his.

The two of them kissed, and then hugged again, unable to keep themselves apart in the homecoming embrace.

"Are you okay?" she asked him, "You're okay? Did you almost die?"

"No," he replied, "Well, no to the last part. I'm okay."

Alice strolled up, not far behind her daughter but wishing to give the two of them the first moment alone.

"I'm glad you're safe," she said to him with an appreciative grin, "What exactly happened with Benjamin?"

Salvatore breathed in heavily once, "We argued," he explained, "Over his safety. At first he was willing to come with me, but once we hit were halfway across the country he changed his mind."

"Why?" Alice's eyebrows narrowed and she had her hands on her hips, standing far more dominantly than her petite frame.

He shook his head, "I... I'm not totally sure. I mean, he said he had to go finish what he started."

"And you just let him go attack your father?"

Salvatore was about to speak, and then stopped as he looked suddenly conflicted. He then raised his eyes to Alice again, "I tried to persuade Benjamin to continue the journey with me. We hid in a tree in Italy for nearly half-a-day before it was safe and we left. He was so adamant about going back so I discontinued my fight. He said he felt he was destined for his original plan... so I let him go." He swallowed hard, "I honestly did think he stood a chance against my father; I still don't. But I felt it wasn't right to take away his free will. I don't know if I could have stopped him regardless."

Alice sighed heavily, not knowing how to feel. She knew Salvatore was being honest. He'd managed to bring Benjamin all that way and she'd seen their feud in her vision for the Egyptian's safety. Still, she wasn't wholly sure she would have simply let him go back to Volterra alone. It appeared almost suicidal.

"He seemed... confident," Salvatore added. "I didn't know what to do... but I went with my gut and I knew I needed to get back to Nicole and the rest of you to tell you what was going on."

"If you were about halfway," Alice stated, "He must be at the coast by now."

Salvatore nodded and looked at Nicole.

Jasper abruptly snuck up on the group and put an arm around Alice's shoulders. She turned to him, and then a second later her eyes drifted beyond their current surroundings. Alice began to see the lengths of several countries and an ocean. Italy became a clear picture in her mind and suddenly her bottom lip drop away from her top one.

"Dad..." Nicole looked at her father.

Jasper glanced at his daughter and then back to his wife. He looked around as if searching for something, but then continued to stare at Alice.

"What?" Nicole asked him.

"It's always a reaction to search for a pencil and paper." He clenched his jaw in slight frustration, "I like to see her thoughts."

Edward and Carlisle approached the group together, as Edward felt like he could be of assistance to Jasper's wishes.

"We're not going to make it," Alice suddenly said, though still appeared wrapped in a daze.

Jasper and Carlisle both stared Edward down.

"What does she mean Edward?" Carlisle asked.

"We're not going to make it," Edward repeated.

The words sent a chill down everyone's back, each of them interpreting it differently.

"In time," Edward added, "We're not going to make it in time."

"In time for what?" Jasper asked him, not taking his eyes off of Alice.

"Benjamin's big plan..." He appeared conflicted. "He's going to make a statement. Amun and Kebi will try to talk them out of it... they'll be captured and it'll will him to carry it out even more so."

"Will they be hurt?" Carlisle asked, repositioning himself so he was almost directly in front of Edward.

"I, uh, I don't know for sure... the vision is constantly changing. Others are on their way to the castle, as well."

"What others?" Salvatore asked, suddenly more interested.

"Many others," Edward added, "Benjamin didn't want to involve us. He's said we've been through enough on behalf of the Volturi."

"What are they going to do?"

Alice suddenly snapped back to reality. She looked around the group, unaware of their discussion.

"Oh my gosh." Her head was spinning. "This is going to be monumental."

"What is?" Salvatore asked her.

Alice's eyes drifted to meet hers, and Jasper grasped her hand tightly, staring intently from just a few inches away.

"Tia... the Irish... a few others I don't recognize that were friends of the Romanians..." Alice glanced at Carlisle, "Garrett... Kate... Tanya..." She swallowed, "And the Amazons."

"What are they going to do?" Carlisle asked her.

William and Madison suddenly rushed up on their conversation, and Madison's eyes were wide.

"My parents," Madison said, "They visited not long ago and it was awkward... like they were planning on leaving, or doing something..." Her eyes met Alice's. "This is it. They wrote some sort of manifesto and told me to read it when the time was appropriate. My father said he would return and pick it up if nothing came of their "journey". He told me was going to be checking in with you, Alice."

"He hasn't," she quickly stated, "Honestly."

"What are they doing?" she asked.

There was a silence that fell over the group, and Edward and Alice exchanged a look - the only two of understood of the plan through her vision.

"Please..." Madison pleaded. She parted from William's side and looked into Alice's eyes, "What are they planning to do, and why didn't they tell me?"

Alice took in another deep breath. "They're going to make a statement for our kind."

"What does that mean?"

Everyone was wondering the same thing.

"They're going to show their disapproval of the way law and order has been working in recent days," Alice explained. "In a type of rebellion."

"They're going to attack them?" Salvatore asked; his eyes wide and mouth open following the question.

"No." She shook her head, "They're going to reveal themselves... in the sunlight in the center courtyard of Volterra."


	30. Perhaps It's Time

**Chapter 29**

Alice painted a picture that was impossible to stop. The tabloid world had a field day with the information provided to them by the people of Italy who witnessed the events of the day...

_May 30th; Noon - One day after Benjamin was suppose to join the Cullens in the dessert_

"Angeli!" an elderly Italian woman called out, her arm extended as far as it could go, pointing at the ring of sparkling beings around the city's beautiful fountain centerpiece.

"Angels..." An eight year old girl extended her arm in the same fashion with a big smile and looked up at her mother and father, who stood awestruck at the scene before them.

"It's... it can't be." The tourist father removed his glasses, squinting into the crowd and almost blinded by the sight. He glanced over at his wife. "This must be part of a street performance."

"Street performance?" His wife asked.

"They're angels," their daughter insisted. "Like the ones they tell us about in church."

An oversized crowd gathered around the immortals who had formed a tight-knit circle. Many snapped pictures, bringing nothing by a glowing blur to their IPhones, though it appeared to satisfy them nonetheless.

"What a great show," a college kid, studying abroad claimed. He attempted to start a clap, though it appeared a majority of the crowd was too awestricken as they attempted to figure out what was going on in the famous Italian city that afternoon.

Religious phrases were being thrown out left and right in Italian. The elder residents were perhaps the most believing in the idea of a supernatural, or a true sign from God.

"Dobbiamo contattare il Vanticano!" A short, elderly man removed his cap and put it over his chest as he grasped a hold of a cross necklace that dangled on the outside of his shirt. He repeated his claims over and over again, looking to others for approval.

Confusion filled the courtyard, and one brave child stepped forward in an attempt to solve the mystery on his own.

"Marcello, no!" A young father lunged for his son, though the boy's hand connected with Tanya's and the two of them shared a smile upon making eye contact.

The father grasped his son's hand, but seemed to be mesmerized by the brief moment as he stared into the beautiful woman's golden eyes. "Cielo." He spoke one word, and the boy looked at his father with a grin.

A small group teenagers behind where the interaction was taking place laughed, took a few pictures and dismissed the incident as a type of show.

"Bye, bye!" They waved and continued on their way.

The mixture of reactions was enough to keep the Volturi no edge in the midst of their deepest anger. At the moment they were handcuffed; they could do nothing but watch the events unfold. If they emerged from the depths of their dark mansion now, all Hell would literally break loose. The community they knew and called home would be destroyed and the secrecy they struggled to keep for centuries would be lost. A slaughter would ensue, and the world as they knew it would die.

Aro attempted to stay logical, pleaded with himself internally to stay patient and wait until the time was right to send his army after the rebellious ring of vampires that threatened their very existence. Still, he knew it was more than just a slap in the face to his ruling. Keeping Caius on his leash was even more difficult, as he begged every fifteen minutes to destroy them and deal with the consequences later.

Doubts began to take over his mind. It wasn't common for Aro to feel doubt, but it continued to brew inside of him, repeatedly striking his core with animalistic prowess.

_What if this is it?_ he wondered, though would never speak the words aloud. _What if we've come full circle and our ruling is up? Perhaps it's time to establish a new dwelling; a new coven; a new form of ruling._

He hated himself for embracing such a plaguing, gnawing, weak feeling.

_This may be why we're in this mess to begin with_, he thought, _I've slipped. My children have cost me my power._

Aro's eyes glanced up at the tower that still stood half in ruins.

_Perhaps its time_...

He slunk away from where he watched events unfolding just outside of his home in the courtyard. He slunk deeper into the shadows, down a narrow, stone stairwell that ducked into a library.

Caleb's journal-keeping had reminded him of the tabs he'd kept throughout history. It had been several years since he'd recorded anything of significance, and he decided to escape the present for a time by taking a trip down memory lane to take a look at his centuries of ruling.

Aro sighed, removed a dusty, leather-bound book from the top of the first shelf and slumped into a chair.

For the first time in centuries he felt defeated.


	31. Minnesota, Take Three

**awesomemiracle: it's hard writing to you because you don't have an account. I'm sorry if I offended you but, it's hard to communicate through messages like this... I actually go back and forth with others on here who have accounts and I've taken suggestions before, including names... it's hard to incorporate all of yours in just a few chapters... I don't always have the time to work on my story so I do what I can when I get the chance... **

**Chapter 30**

Marshall, Minnesota. Esme's own personal area filled with bad luck. She felt silly for believing it, and almost guilty because of their youngest son's name, but she couldn't shake the feeling that the place was somehow cursed.

The large estate was almost eerie when they arrived back, despite Emmett's attempts to make everyone laugh by creating echoes of the high ceilings.

"I can't get myself to feel comfortable here," Esme said, shaking her head. She looked upward and spoke to no one in particular. "Am I silly for thinking this place just doesn't match up right with us?"

Carlisle put a hand on her upper back and rubbed gently against the base of her neck. "I can understand the feeling." He glanced up and made eye contact with Masen, who stood beside Leah just a few feet away. Marshall and Charlie interacted at their feet, with Marshall attempting to get his younger counterpart to say all the words he used the most.

Alice looked at Carlisle and Esme, and the to the entire family that stood in the main entrance to their mansion of a home. "I know how you're both feeling," she explained, "But I'm telling you that things have changed... whether permanently or temporarily."

Carlisle sighed, unable to fully believe that Aro had thrown in the towel and the Volturi had in many ways been dismembered. He'd lived with them for so long, and the more recent encounters were malicious and unrelenting. He just couldn't bring himself to feel that someone so power hungry, egotistical and intelligent could just step down.

"The Volturi... as of now... are no more," Alice reiterated to the group.

"No way." Emmett's arms were folded over his chest. "This can't be the way this is going to go." He stared at Alice, forcing back a smirk that lingered beneath his lips.

"It's already happened," Alice explained. She looked around the circle of family members that stood before her in disbelief.

"Why wouldn't they just kill everyone for doing what they did?" Bella asked, "I thought it was how they carried out their order."

"There were too many of them," she went on, "If the Volturi made an even bigger scene in broad daylight in front of a crowd like that things would have been worse."

"What have been the reactions of the people in Italy?" Rosalie asked her.

"Mixed," Alice explained, "The tabloids spouted off lines about angels and had blurry, sparkling pictures to 'prove' it."

"Any mention of vampires?" Jasper asked her.

She shook her head. "No. But the term immortal was thrown around. Others thought it was a stunt."

Carlisle sighed and let out a deep breath through his mouth.

"My parents," Madison said, "Are they still-"

"They're coming here," Alice explained, "To apologize to you, and to see everyone; Tanya too."

William brought her against his body and kissed her temple.

"So ultimately what does this mean about the Volturi?" Bella asked. She stared directly at Alice.

"Right now... there _is_ no Volturi."

Carlisle was the most conflicted about the notion. He knew that Aro hadn't been just and hated himself for thinking any good thought about him, especially after he captured Caleb and caused more than enough chaos for their family.

Edward couldn't keep his own mind in check. There were too many inner voices that were overwhelming and hard to keep track of. Esme was overjoyed. She felt it was too good to be true but she couldn't see anything wrong with the news. Whatever repercussions came, she felt, couldn't be worse than the pain they'd already experienced at the hands of the Volturi.

Emmett was in disbelief, and Rosalie was thankful that Maddy's parents were alive; she looked at them in a different way since her son and their daughter had been together.

The thoughts were reeling, and no one really knew how to handle them.

Jasper was ultimately the most uncomfortable, as a pleather of emotions bounced in and out of him in ways that Edward could read, made him want to run away.

Salvatore's thoughts were nearly as bad. He was conflicted; thinking of himself as selfish and inconsiderate... yet unable to deny his true feelings for Nicole, and hated himself for feeling both ways. The feelings for Nicole were the highest, and he squeezed her hand in an almost desperate fashion. Edward could see that he not only loved her, but he needed her.

"I think we all need to process what's going on," Edward finally stated. He had a hand on the side of his head, and Bella knew what he was probably feeling. She rubbed his back.

"Agreed." Jasper choked out the word, and Alice put a hand on the side of his face.

"I'm sorry," she said lightly.

"Mind if I go for a hunt?" he asked, "Or we..."

"We." She nodded and then looked at their daughter. "Care to join us?"

Nicole sighed and shrugged. "I think we're going to hang here if that's okay." Salvatore stood stiffly beside her.

"Of course," Alice said back. She stepped forward to give her daughter a hug.

Everyone exchanged looks with one another, and Jasper towed Alice away, looking almost as uncomfortable as the times he felt his bloodlust kicking in the most.

"Want to, like, play some cards man?" William asked, looking at Caleb. He then shifted his eyes to Masen.

"Sure." He nodded, and looked at his parents. "I want to get back to normal. I want to take classes and be with my friends... and family." He looked back to William, who tipped his mouth up in a half-smirk.

"We're going to try starting today," Esme told him with a nod. She looked around to all of her children, "Maybe this will be a new beginning; one without the constant chaos that you've all had to endure throughout your lives. You deserve peace."

Carlisle nodded in agreement, but uneasiness lingered inside of him.

"I think we all need a mental break for a minute," Edward told him. He shrugged. "No one was hurt. No one died. Nothing's changed in regards to our family."

"Maybe this could be the big break everyone's been wanting," Bella added, "I mean I feel partially responsible for kicking off this string of attacks by the Volturi, and others. Since I came into your lives you haven't been able to find that everlasting peace you once had."

Esme shook her head, "Bella, you are not responsible for any of the wrong-doings of the Aro, and the others. You've never done anything wrong... and all of us can thank you for making us realize that we _can_ in fact have children. I think you deserve a chance at happiness and peace with Edward. You haven't gotten to experience the calm after the storm."

Everyone stood in silence for a moment before slowly but surely making their ways to segregated parts of the house.

No one knew exactly what was to come, but it was hard not to think positively for most. For others, they felt as though another storm would brew in time. They just didn't know when.

"Let's try to make this feel like home again," Carlisle said quietly to Esme. "We can talk about the next step again soon."

She nodded in agreement, and the two of them followed closely behind Masen and Leah, as they walked with Marshall toward the floor's main family room.


	32. Not Tonight

**Chapter 31**

_Two months later._

Carlisle sat in his office, looking out the window. Hours had passed, and he couldn't keep his mind off of the Volturi. Day in and day out, things had gotten back to normal but there was a segregated part of each day that he subconsciously saved for his worries.

He put his thumb and pointer finger across his brown line and squinted, and then closed his eyes for a moment. When he reopened them, he stared up toward the sky at a half moon that was accompanied by a collection of stars.

"Knock, knock..." Esme's voice made him turn, breaking his unwanted concentration for the first time.

Carlisle sighed heavily and shook his head.

"You need a break from these thoughts," she told him, slowly approaching before planting a kiss on his forehead and running her hand through his hair one time. Her eyes drifted out the window toward the night sky.

"I'm not fond of these anxious feelings," he confessed, shaking his head. "I just can't shake it."

"Alice has her eyes on all of them," Esme reminded him, "Caius, Marcus... Aro."

"They still have Vincent's powers; his shield."

"They must not be utilizing it," she said, "Because Alice can see them all."

"Yeah..." Carlisle couldn't bring himself to smile.

Esme slumped onto his lap and cuddled his head toward her body. She kissed his temple again. "Can you come downstairs with me?" she asked him.

He sighed, but lifted his eyes to meet hers.

She pouted her lip, making him half-smirk. "Please?" she asked.

Carlisle couldn't help but give a light laugh. "Of course."

Esme smiled a little wider and hopped off his lap, extending her hand.

He smiled back and took, following close behind as she towed him away from the office and down the flight of stairs.

Esme looked back once they reached the first floor of the house and smirked at him, before motioning to the island as they crossed through the kitchen. "Can you grab those?"

Carlisle followed her gaze and snickered as he spotted a pair of wine glasses, doing as his wife asked and grabbing them.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"Where are we going?" he asked her.

"Just out onto the back patio," Esme told him. She chuckled to herself as they crossed through the French doors, and then glanced back at him again, releasing his hand to remove the shirt she was wearing.

Carlisle raised his eyebrows, but quickly realized she had a bathing suit on, and began to laugh.

"This afternoon," she explained, "Emmett and Rose purchased this."

He grinned and ran his tongue across his teeth. "A Jacuzzi, huh?"

Esme ran her hand along the side of it. "That's right."

Carlisle lifted his eyes toward the windows above them, and then shifted his eyes back to Esme.

"I'll have to go upstairs and get my trunks," he told her, laughing immediately as she shook her head.

Esme looked around, noting no one was in the immediate area and swiftly dropped his pants, leaving him in his navy blue boxer shorts. "The kids are all out. Edward took Marshall with him," she explained. "So... let's enjoy some relaxation time." She scrunched her nose, "You need it."

Carlisle grinned, "Well, I have to say it feels good to be anxious about standing here in my underwear rather than solely focusing on all the 'what-if's that are still taking over my mind."

She began to giggle, prompting Carlisle to laugh with her.

Esme placed a kiss on his lips, and then hopped into the tub. "Are you going to join me?" she asked.

Carlisle grinned, and looked around before removing his shirt and hopping in with her. He carefully placed the glasses for the two on a small ledge where a bottle of wine already sat.

Esme began to pour them each a glass, handing her husband one before settling herself in front of him. She rested her back against his chest and closed her eyes, feeling his arm lazily slump down over her. She smiled as his thumb gently ran across her mid-section.

Carlisle sighed again and took a sip of the wine, slumping back just a little so his head rested halfway on the ledge.

"Was this a good plan or what?" Esme asked him.

He smiled to himself without opening his eyes. "Yes it was."

Esme's eyes flickered open and she looked up at the sky again. "I miss Forks but you don't get many starry nights out that way."

"Nope." He huffed the word and looked up for a moment before closing his eyes again. "Babe, we need a vacation."

Esme began to laugh and abruptly spun around to face him. "Babe?" she laughed as he grinned again.

"Did I remind you a little too much of Emmett saying that?" he asked, laughing to himself.

She smiled and placed her hands on his shoulders. "I could get used to it."

Carlisle smiled lazily at her and pushed her hair back before locking his lips with hers. The two of them kissed for a moment before he sighed.

"How late are the kids going to be out?" he asked her.

Esme smiled and threw her hair up into a high bun so her hair wouldn't get wet. "Well..." she thought for a moment, "They left about fifteen minutes before I came up to your office."

"And where did they go?"

"To a movie."

"All of them?"

"All of them."

Carlisle smirked. He looked over her shoulder toward the woods line that surrounded the house on all sides.

Esme gently touched his face, intentionally drawing his eyes back to meet hers. "When do we ever get a chance like this?" She smiled.

"Never." Carlisle raised his eyebrows and brought his lips to hers again. He then took a long sip of wine, sighed and looked at her again.

"You're in rare form tonight," she told him, "I like it."

He snickered, "I need it."

"I do too." Esme linked her hands behind his neck and shoulders.

Carlisle pulled her close and kissed her more forcefully.

She leaned back for a moment and reached for her glass, tapping it lightly against his. "Here's to us."

He nodded and returned the gesture, keeping her lips within an inch of his. "To us."

Carlisle brought her back to him. For once, he managed to keep his mind away from the lingering fear he had; the fear of what may or may not happen in the future. The fear of the Volturi. He was the only one who knew them for long enough to know for certain that whatever happened wasn't over.

_Not tonight_, he thought. _Tonight things are going to be just fine._


	33. The Next Chapter in the Story

**Chapter 32**

"So, you don't care about not going back to school?" Delilah asked Caleb. "You loved it there." She laughed and ran a hand down his cheek as they sat on a cliff overlooking one of the Great Lakes. "I don't know why you like school so much, but..."

Caleb chuckled and planted a kiss on her lips. "I just do." He shrugged, "Emmett always jokes and calls my dad a book nerd. Maybe I inherited that trait."

"I think it's sexy," she told him with a smile.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Delilah leaned in and planted a single kiss on his lips, and then repeated the action several times in a row.

Caleb cuddled her against him and looked down at the sand that sat nearly one-hundred feet below the extended jagged rock they sat on. Aside from William and Madison there were no others on the beach that evening. A loud laugh rang through the night air, making both of them smile.

"I can't believe your parents let you come all the way out here," she said to him, "After everything."

"I told them that I want to live my life, no matter how long or short it lasts," Caleb told her, "I don't want to be reckless, but a night like this I think is well deserved."

"Agreed."

He leaned in with a smile and kissed her again.

Delilah laughed and adjusted the jacket she wore. "I do like wearing your school jacket, though," she told him, "It makes me feel like one of those cliché, American teenage girls."

Caleb snickered and adjusted the collar on the black jacket. "I think it looks good on you."

"You think?"

"Mm-hmm."

William whipped up to the cliff where they sat with Madison on his back.

"Hey you two," she said.

"Hey." Caleb grinned at the two of them.

"Nice here, isn't it?" William asked them.

"Yeah," the two of them responded at the same time, glancing at one another for a second.

Madison looked at William and they both grinned.

"What?" Caleb asked.

"What do you think our parents would think if we asked to spend the summer out here?" William asked.

Caleb laughed lightly, 'We've only been here one night. What's the place got to offer?"

The couple grinned again. "We've been here a number of times," Madison told them.

"Really?" Delilah asked.

She nodded, "When everyone else went to Niagara Falls back when we were in Connecticut, the two of us came here. We've managed to sneak away every so often."

"Edward knows," William said with a laugh, "Well, I suspect he does but he hasn't said anything."

Caleb smiled wide.

"There are a lot of night-life activities here," he went on, nudging Caleb with his elbow. "Lots of parties on the beach. If we chose to stay longer there are a few local colleges. Maybe you could go Caleb."

He raised his eyebrows and pulled Delilah toward him. "Do we have to decide now?"

"Of course not," Madison told them with a smile, beating William to his peer pressure rant. She then leaned in with a whisper, "But I bet it would be fun."

"Just the summer..." Caleb said.

"Sure." William shrugged, "And if it lasts longer then so be it."

"Fate will decide?" Delilah teased.

"Exactly." He grinned.

The four of them stood together for a moment before Caleb chuckled to himself. "Well, why don't you show us around the place then?"

Delilah looked at Madison and nodded.

"Okay," William said with a nod. "The world is ours once the sun sets. And I just called Nicole. She's on her way with Salvatore now."

"You better be convincing," Delilah told them.

"Oh, I know," William joked, "Because Caleb is quite the mama's boy."

Caleb shook his head and then looked at Delilah, eying her hand before linking her fingers with hers. "Want to take a grand tour?"

She nodded with a smile. "Sure."

The two of them shared a kiss and followed William and Madison, leaping off the tall cliff down onto the beach sand to begin their tour of the town.

...

Chris sat on a rock in the cave where the Immortal Society continued to gather. Mary sat stiffly across from him with a flashlight in her lap, the beam shining against the rock wall of the underground lair.

"What happened to him?" Donny finally asked, speaking of their former classmate and friend, Caleb Cullen.

"He's going to another school," Mary told the two of them.

"Yeah, okay..." he replied sarcastically.

"My dad has talked to Dr. Cullen since... that night," Chris said tentatively.

"What's he have to say about it?" Mary asked.

"Not much."

There was a silence that fell over them and Chris began to thumb through the book that they'd regularly skimmed on their weekly meetings.

"It doesn't feel right," Donny said, "Something happened to him."

"He's fine," Chris said back immediately.

"Then why haven't we seen him?"

He sighed, not answering the question.

"And who the hell was that guy?" Donny asked, "The long haired guy that took him away."

"He was a little freaky looking," Mary added with a nod, "The robe... the long, black hair..."

"He looked like he was-"

"Ancient," she finished.

"Yes."

Chris shook his head and closed the book. "What are we saying?"

"What's this little club all about?" Donny asked. "Why do we meet here?"

"Because we're bored teenagers."

"Wrong."

Chris shook his head again.

Donny looked at Mary and then back to Chris, "You're here because a small part of you believes in this."

"No," he argued.

"Yes! And unless Caleb and his family are playing a massive, unfunny joke on us then I have my suspicions."

"Suspicions of what?" Mary asked.

"That this Immortal Society has some truth to it."

"Oh, and the guy who came and took Caleb..." Chris paused with a sigh, " He's a vampire then? He just took Caleb and maybe now Caleb is a vampire?"

Donny looked him in the eye for several seconds and then shrugged.

"You've lost it."

Mary looked between the both of them, seeming to be unsure of which side she was taking.

The sound of crumbling stone made all of their heads turn in the direction of the cave's opening.

A handsome young man with dark hair and dark eyes entered the private, half-underground lair.

"Hi," Mary said, perking up immediately. She looked at her friends and cleared her throat, staring the boy up and down.

"Hello," he replied, letting his accent echo off the walls.

"Who are you?" Donny asked.

Chris looked at the two of them, and then back to the young man. "Aren't you related to Caleb Cullen?" he asked.

The young man smiled, "My name is Vincent." He chuckled, "He told me about this... your meetings here."

"He did?" Chris asked.

"Yes... I've also heard your contemplations about his whereabouts."

"Is he alright?"

"Did something happen to him?" Donny blurted out.

Vincent smirked. His face was illuminated by the glow of a small fire in the center of all of them. "Like I said I've heard your versions of the story..." A wider grin spread across his face, "But you didn't tell it right."

"We didn't?" Mary asked, confused by what he meant.

He shook his head and gave a wink. "No." Vincent looked around the small group of high school kids, "You see... this is how the story _really_ goes."


	34. I Think She Could Use Some Company

**Hey all... I got engaged last weekend! So, I haven't been on here really this week. Figured I'd share the good news :) Okay, enjoy a nice Carlisle/Esme moment. :)**

**Chapter 33**

Caleb and Delilah crossed through the front entrance of the house, and Esme welcomed both of them and then the rest of the kids with extra long hugs.

"I'm so glad you're all back," she gushed.

Each of them greeted her, and then the rest of the family members who were home at the time.

Esme made her way back to Caleb and hugged him again. "How was your trip?"

"It was good," he told her with a nod and a laugh. "I think I have to hunt though." Caleb loosened the collar of his shirt, "I'm starting to feel that deep burn in my throat."

"Oh, of course," she said with a nod.

"I'd like to bring Marshall if that's okay."

Esme raised her eyebrows and Carlisle came around the corner with their youngest on his shoulders.

"Hunt time," he said, looking at his older brother from above.

Carlisle grinned and looked at Esme. "I don't know if we should let them go," he teased, "Marshall is still little."

Caleb played along, knowing his father was kidding. His eyes met Marshall's, though he spoke to his parents, "Please?" he asked.

Marshall let his head down so he stared at Carlisle upside down. "Please?" He put his hands together and Carlisle laughed.

"Mom?" he asked, glancing at Esme. "What do you say?"

Esme still looked slightly apprehensive but saw the trust in Carlisle's expression. She let out a quiet sigh. "Alright."

"Yes!" Marshall pumped his arm, banging Carlisle on the side of the head.

He laughed and hoisted him up as high as he could before getting ready to toss him to his older brother.

"Ready Marshall?" he asked, "One, two-"

"Three!" Marshall ended the short countdown and flung into Caleb's arms, climbing up him like a monkey.

"Ready?" Caleb asked.

"Ready." He replied with a single nod. He then glanced at Delilah. "Is _she_ coming?"

Esme giggled to herself and Delilah laughed lightly.

"Yes she is," Caleb told him, beginning to tickle him. "Got a problem with that, punk?"

Marshall laughed loudly and tried to fight him off. "No," he told him in between giggles, "No... Caleb stop." He continued to laugh.

"Come on little man." He put him up in his shoulders the way Carlisle had, "We're outta here."

"Outta here!" he raised his arm in the air and Caleb smiled at his parents.

"Be back soon."

"Be careful," Esme told them.

Emmett popped his head into the room. "Rose and I will go out there with them." He winked at Esme, "Because I know you're nervous Mama Bear."

Carlisle smirked and looked at Esme, who was now grinning from ear to ear.

"Thank you, Emmett. You know me too well."

"I don't know need Edward's mind games to read you." He said loud enough for his brother to hear. "Rosie! Let's gooo!"

The five of them headed out the back toward the woods line.

Dusk was setting in, and the sun was about tucked away for the evening. Edward and Bella sat within an eyeshot watching a video, sitting closely together. Alice and Jasper were elsewhere in the house debating casually about something. Every so often Nicole's voice would chime in, and Salvatore would clear his throat though never gave input to the conversation.

"So I just get him back home and he's gone," Esme said, shaking her head.

Carlisle kissed her forehead and the two of them stood hugging for a moment.

"I'm going to head upstairs to take a bath and watch some TV in our room," she told him.

"Okay," he said. "Are you okay?"

Esme nodded and kissed him on the lips. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Carlisle watched her go, sensing she needed some 'me' time and wandered into the living room.

Edward glanced at him and nodded his head upward.

"What?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

Bella smiled and linked hands with Edward.

"Esme," Edward explained, "She's a little stressed."

Carlisle sighed through his nose. "She was worried every minute he was away. She was happy to have him home." A brief smile decorated his face and then disappeared.

"And now he's out again," Edward finished.

He nodded.

"I think she could-"

"Use some company," Bella finished.

The two of them shrugged at the same time, making Carlisle laugh lightly.

"Okay, then." He smirked and turned around, heading out of the living room toward the staircase.

Carlisle heard Edward and Bella share a quick chuckle and he climbed the staircase, approaching the room he shared with Esme. When he opened the door she was laying in the center of the bed with her eyes closed and all the lights on, as well as the television.

"You okay?" he asked her, repeating the question from a few minutes before.

Esme nodded, keeping her eyes closed. "I miss him being a baby."

"Caleb?"

She sighed, "Yeah. Alice shared a conversation she saw occur between him and William."

"About what?" Carlisle sat at the edge of the bed.

Esme opened her eyes. "Moving out on his own... away from us."

His expression changed to be slightly more serious but he half-smiled and played with her hair. "That can be a conversation for another night. Let him... enjoy the moment."

"Yeah."

Carlisle laid on the bed next to her and slung an arm around her waist. He sighed against her ear.

"Are we staying here?" she asked him.

"Do you want to?"

Esme shrugged and placed her hand over his. "It's not bad..."

"It's not home," Carlisle suspected.

"I don't know how I feel about it here. And Aro knows we've been here."

"Say the word and I'll start looking tonight."

Esme glanced over at him. She half-smiled the way he had and ran a hand through his hair. "No... we can stay."

Carlisle leaned over her and kissed her one chastely on the lips.

"You're so good to me, Carlisle."

He smiled, not saying anything back. Carlisle kissed her again, and then trailed kisses down her cheek toward her neck until he felt her hands tighten just slightly against him.

"May I?" he asked, grasping the zipper to her casual, light sweatshirt.

Esme smiled at him and nodded.

Carlisle proceeded to unzip the zip-up and Esme shed the outer layer of her clothing, leaving her in a black cami. He lifted the shirt up so just her stomach was exposed and carefully laid kisses from her mid torso down toward her bellybutton.

She almost giggled, but just smiled and closed her eyes, letting her hand get tangled in her husband's wavy blond hair.

Carlisle glanced up at her, grinning to himself as he took in her expression. He then toyed with the tie on her yoga pants and easily did away with them. When he quickly got up off the bed, Esme's eyes flickered open.

"Where are you going?"

He simply smiled at her and disappeared into the bathroom before returning with massage oil. Esme smiled back as he motioned for her to turn over on her stomach, a request she abruptly obeyed.

Carlisle returned to her side, standing on the side of the bed.

"Wait," she told him, "Before you put the oil on your hands..."

He raised his eyebrows, awaiting her order.

"Maybe you could give me some special treatment because I'm a slightly depressed patient."

Carlisle chuckled, "What's that?"

"Lose the shirt?" she phrased the sentence like a question.

He placed the small bottle on the nightstand and quickly unbuttoned his shirt before tossing it lightly to the floor.

Esme smiled at him, and then put her head back down as he began to rub oil onto her shoulders and back.

She sighed with approval as Carlisle massaged ever inch of her body, taking his time and giving in to every request she had along the way.

Esme didn't speak much. She enjoyed the hour-long rub down that he gave her, only asking him once or twice to pay extra special attention to the base of her neck and shoulders.

"I don't know if I can ever really ask you to stop," she told him with a light laugh, noting that a more than sixty minutes had gone by since he'd come into the room.

Carlisle chuckled to himself. "You don't have to."

Esme sighed again, feeling happily relaxed and flipped around onto her back again so she stared up at him.

He smirked, keeping eye contact and took her left leg in his hand, digging his thumbs into her calf muscle, before setting it down to rub her thigh.

She swallowed hard and closed her eyes. "Maybe you could circle back to the beginning... give your hands a rest."

"What do you mean?"

Esme leaned up and pulled him toward her, kissing him once on the lips. "I believe this is how we started... right?"

Carlisle locked his eyes with hers, only a few inches away and brought his lips back to hers before he felt her tongue slide into his mouth.

"I think you started kissing my neck next," she whispered.

"I think you're right," he whispered back against her ear. Carlisle gripped her earlobe between his teeth before kissing her neck and peeling off the remainder of her clothing.

Esme gently ran a hand against muscular lines in his back and continually brushed back his hair with her free hand. "You know how to please a woman."

"I try." Carlisle brought his lips back to hers.

"Are you going even things out?" she whispered again, pulling at one of the belt loops on his pants.

He leaned back to do as she asked while Esme slipped under the sheet.

Carlisle positioned himself back on top of her and kissed her softly.

"I could lay her like this forever," Esme told him. "I love you. That was the best massage I've had in decades."

He laughed, "Well, I better start coming through more often, huh?"

She scrunched her nose, "They feel better in moderation."

Carlisle continued to smile and tucked her hair behind her ear. He slowly began to move his knee toward the inside of hers until her leg was carefully pushed to the side. She took his lead and moved her other leg outward in the opposite direction.

Esme closed her eyes as he brought his lips back to hers. He then snickered into her ear as he whispered, "Keep it down."

"I'll try," she whispered back with a smile.

Carlisle captured her lips with his own again and slowly guided her arms so they were raised above her head, barely touching the headboard. He placed his over hers and interlocked their fingers.

Esme was blissfully at ease. "I love you, Carlisle."

"I love you too."


	35. The Cave

**If anyone is interested I started a crossover of Twilight and Friday the 13th... having fun with it :) Check it out if you're bored!**

A newscast blared over the television and everyone rushed from their corners of the house to gather in the living room.

"Turn it up," Jasper ordered.

"Like we need it," Emmett said back, though gave in to his request.

A pretty blond woman held a microphone in front of her face and spoke into the camera, seeming to make eye contact with each of them individually. "Three local teens have been reported missing from the town of Marshall."

"What is this?" Carlisle asked standing closest to the television but off to the side.

Caleb pointed at the television, recognizing the pictures that were flashed up on the screen. "Oh shit." When Carlisle and Esme both looked at him after he cursed, he was about to apologize but he decide to go on. "Those... those are my friends from school. Chris Martin..." He looked at his father.

"Dr. Martin's son," he concluded, looking down toward the espresso hardwood floor.

"What happened to them?" Alexandra asked, looking around.

A loud banging knock at the door followed by the doorbell caught everyone's attention. Carlisle looked to Alice.

"Dr. Martin," she informed him.

Carlisle hurried to the door to find his frantic co-worker pacing at the step.

"Dr. Cullen," he said, rushing in. Grief clung to his expression and he placed his hands on both of Carlisle's shoulders. "My son... he's gone. Has Caleb seen him? Is he here?"

He shook his head, but called for his son. "Caleb!"

Caleb and Delilah emerged from the other room, both showing obvious angst in their eyes.

"Have you seen Chris?" Dr. Martin asked the two of them. He was nearly crying, but held back.

Caleb's mouth dropped open and he slowly shook his head. "No... not since." He swallowed hard, "Not since we got back from Italy."

"He was worried about you," the man went on, "He thought someone kidnapped you; some man with dark hair. He said he reminded him of a vampire."

Carlisle and Caleb made eye contact before Caleb took the lead.

"We were meeting up some nights," he explained, "The two of us, Delilah and Donny and Mary."

Dr. Martin nodded, urging him to continue.

"We met up in this cave," Caleb went on, "We kind of referred to it as an immortal society... just for fun."

"Who was the man that came and pulled you out?"

"It was-"

"My uncle," Delilah cut in. "He was here visiting."

He looked at the two of them for a moment. "Do you know where they might be? Chris, Donny, Mary..." He swallowed hard, "Where is this cave?"

"In the woods out behind the school," Caleb explained.

Carlisle closed his eyes for a moment, not knowing what kind of position they'd put themselves in.

"Could they be there?" the frightened father asked.

"I-I don't know," Caleb confessed, "Maybe."

"Carlisle," Emmett called, "You gotta see this."

Carlisle exchanged a glance with Dr. Martin, and then waved him inside. The four of them made their way into the living room where Edward, Bella, Alice, Jasper, Nicole and Salvatore had slipped away to keep Carlisle's acquaintance from noticing their oversized live-in family."

Despite their thinned out group, his eyes still showed his a small amount of amazement in the number of people residing in the living room.

Emmett gave a sympathetic wave and turned up the television.

"What's this?" Dr. Martin asked, staring wide-eyed at the screen.

The same blond woman continued to report. "The four bodies were found in the woods not far from a local, private school..."

"Who's bodies?" His voice trembled as he spoke.

"Four men who appear to be between the ages of twenty-five and forty," the news anchor said, as if replying to the doctor's question.

Dr. Martin let out a thankful, decompressing sigh and put a hand on his chest in relief. "It's not them. It's not Chris." He felt for a chair that lingered behind him in the corner of the room and nearly stumbled sitting down.

Esme rushed to his side, helping him the rest of the way down. She looked at Carlisle, sensing his heart rate begin to climb.

"Are you alright?" Carlisle asked him, squatting down beside him.

Dr. Martin breathed in heavily. He kept his hand on his chest and then pressed his eyes shut tight, gritting his teeth. He winced and shook his head as his body tensed up.

"I've got to get you to a hospital." He stood up and glanced at Esme who asked him with her eyes what to do. "Call 9-1-1."

Caleb stood grief-stricken at the scene before him, feeling somehow responsible. He had to figure out what was going on and if Chris was alright.

"We're going to get you to the hospital," Carlisle encouraged Dr. Martin, going through initial procedures to stabilize somebody going into cardiac arrest.

Caleb made a bolt for the door, not being questioned by anyone, though he suspected there were a few looks in his direction. Delilah was right on his heels, looking over her shoulder as she chased after him.

"Where are you going?" she called once they were outside and the door had slammed behind them.

"To find Chris," he explained, running off toward the school.

"Hey!" a female voice called in the darkness, making both of them jump and scream.

"Alice." Caleb came to a halt and closed his eyes as he braced himself.

"Sorry to scare you." She looked at him.

"You know something." He didn't ask what he already knew.

"Chris is okay. He's alive."

"What?" A relieved half-smile took over his face. "What about his dad? Is he having a heart attack?"

"He's going to be okay. I didn't tell your dad that but... yes he's going to be fine."

Caleb continued to grin.

"There _is_ some bad news."

Caleb's smile faded. "What?"

"I'll let him tell you once we get to the cave," Alice said.

"Chris is at the cave?"

She nodded.

"What happened?"

Alice sighed and pulled on his arm. "Come on..."


	36. Confrontation

**Chapter 36**

Caleb rushed into the cave first with Alice and Delilah just behind him.

"Chris!" he called out, prompting the young man to scream out loud and crawl deeper into the back of the cave than he had been originally.

"It's okay," Alice piggybacked, putting her hands up, "Caleb step back. Give him room."

"It's just me," Caleb pleaded with his friend.

Chris's whole body shook. He stood up halfway, unable to ball his fists from the fear. Still, he held his hands up in the most combative way possible and stared at his friend.

"What... what is this?" he asked, voice trembling, "Who..."

"Come with us," Delilah urged, stepping forward.

Chris jumped back a foot and crouched down, "Stay back."

"Chris," Alice stepped forward, partially wishing she had brought Jasper for his ability to alter one's mood. On the same note, she recognized that his presence may have scared the young human farther back into the corner. "We're not going to hurt you. Please tell us what happened."

His eyes were widened and he stared at her, seeming to be studying her features.

"You... you're different," he stuttered, "You all are. What are you?"

Alice and Caleb exchanged a glance.

"Oh... God." Chris shook and dry heaved before eventually vomiting in the corner.

"It's okay," Caleb assured him again, striding toward him.

"Stay back!" he ordered.

"Okay." He stopped abruptly and put his hands up. "Alright."

A silence fell over them and Chris spit, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He stared at the three of them for a moment before Alice recognized that he felt just slightly less threatened by his posture.

"We know you've been through a lot," she told him, "We saw the news. Your father came to the house."

"My Dad?" his eyes lit up.

"He's fine," Alice lied, knowing his father was being rushed to the hospital. On the other hand, she saw the outcome being successful. "Caleb's dad is... actually bringing him to the hospital now."

"What!" Chris straightened up, seeming to come alive for the first time.

"He was worried about you to the point where he's had a minor... heart attack."

Tears filled the boys eyes and his jaw tightened. Alice could see he was about to break down.

"But he's going to be okay, Chris."

"How do you know?"

"She can see the future," Caleb blurted out. He glanced at Alice who gave him a look.

Too much was being thrown at Chris too quickly. He didn't know how to process all the information, and he didn't know what to believe.

"What are you talking about?" His eyes remained hard and his voice was shaking. Sweat coated the front of his forehead, damping the hair that laid across it.

"You were right," Alice told him, "We... aren't what we say we are."

Chris stared into her golden eyes, eying her features again, taking in every inch of her marble face that seemed to glow in the darkness.

"That's why you have to tell us what happened," she urged, "So we can help you... and your friends."

He breathed in heavily several times, heaving his chest up and down before he closed his eyes for a moment as he spoke. "My dad..." he said.

"He's on his way to the hospital now," Alice repeated, "Caleb's dad is taking him there."

"Who is Caleb's dad?" He thought for a moment, "Dr. Cullen?"

Caleb looked at Alice as if for permission. When she nodded, he looked at his friend and did the same. "Yeah."

"I thought he was your uncle," Chris said, "I mean... how old are you? How old is he? He can't be your dad."

"I'll... explain that," Caleb said.

"You just need to tell us what you saw first," Alice said, "And then I promise we'll clear all of this up."

Chris bit his bottom lip and hesitated before going on. "Someone came in when we were having a meeting." He breathed in once through his nose. "He looked about our age."

Delilah linked her arm through Caleb's and they both glanced at Alice.

"He... took them," he explained, "Like the way that guy took you." Chris shook his head, "What the hell happened to you, Caleb? Who was that guy? Who was the guy who... " He paused again, "He bit them. He bit Mary... he took Donny."

"Did he bite him too?" Alice asked.

Chris nodded once and looked down, beginning to shake again. "They started screaming and their bodies shook. I thought he was going to get me next but he carried them away and left."

"He wasn't the same guy that took me?" Caleb asked.

He shook his head. "No... much younger," he explained again, "Our age. Dark hair..." Chris swallowed hard, "Red eyes. Fast... faster than anyone I've ever seen. I tried to move and he was there... like a blur. It wasn't right." He slumped down into a seated position and rested his elbows on his knees. "Did that happen to you Caleb?"

He sighed and, again, looked to Alice for approval.

"No," she said for him, "That didn't happen to Caleb."

Chris looked at her.

"But it did happen to me... a long, long time ago."

He stared at her, eyes wide and bottom lip hanging open.

"I'm a vampire, Chris," Alice told him, "But I'm not the kind of vampire that came in here and took your friends." She looked him in the eye, "That was Vincent. He's a young, power hungry vampire who is trying to bring our family down."

"What are you, Caleb?" Chris asked his friend. "Your eyes... they look like-" He raised an arm and pointed to Alice, and then made brief eye contact with Delilah.

"I'm a vampire, too," he confessed, "Only I was born... not bitten."

"So... your dad then?"

"My dad, Dr. Cullen-"

"He's with my dad." Fear filled Chris's face.

"Carlisle's been alive for three hundred years," Alice said, "Give or take... and he's never killed a human being."

Chris stared at her in disbelief, and then let out a mad laugh. It was no secret that he wasn't amused, but he was beginning to think he was losing his mind.

"This is a dream," he said to himself, "Or a sick joke. I can't tell which."

"I wish I could tell you that it was," Alice told him, "But... this is reality."

"I want to see my dad," Chris said, "If he's okay like you say then..."

"He's okay," Caleb said reassuringly.

"I was proof," he demanded harshly. "I want proof that he's alive."

"Okay," Alice agreed with a nod. "We'll bring you to the hospital."

He shook his head, still in fear.

"Chris," Caleb said, "We don't feed on the blood of humans."

"Animals," Delilah finally chimed in, allowing the two of them to do most of the explaining, "We hunt animals and drink their blood to live."

"We don't hurt anybody," Alice added, "But others, like Vincent... they're dangerous to humans. He has an agenda." She looked at him and sighed, "We'll take you to your father... but we have to figure out a cover story for what happened in here."

"We need to find Mary and Donny."

"We will," Alice said, "But if you go talking about vampires they're going to think something's wrong with you. We'll disappear and you'll never get closure with your friends."

"We can try to save them," Caleb explained.

"Are they still alive?" Chris asked.

Alice nodded, "Several members of the community have been killed. They're most likely with Vincent. We need to stop them before they kill more people."

"They?" he asked, "You mean... Mary and Donny... they've k-" He didn't finish his sentence. "Are they... vampires? Can they be changed back?"

Alice approached him, and Chris jumped back but she stayed close, kneeling beside him. She reached a hand and gently placed it on his shoulder. "I promise you, Chris. I will explain all of this to you. We'll do our best to save your friends and to save more humans from being killed."

He stared into her eyes, shaking more fiercely now.

"We will never hurt you. That is something I can guarantee."

"Even if I told the truth?"

Alice nodded without hesitation. "Even then. It would put us all in a difficult situation... and in a lot of danger with the authorities in our world. But, no, we would never hold you accountable for that. No one should have to see what you saw, or go through this... but if there's one thing to be lucky about, it's that you're still human." She half smiled and backed away to give him space. "Now... you've been reported missing for several days now. Can you help us come up with a fake story or not?"


	37. Mutual Questions

**Chapter 37**

Chris paced in the waiting room of the hospital. He took in deep breaths and couldn't find it in him to sit still.

Caleb, Delilah and Alice sat in a set of three chairs with him, taking in his every angst-ridden stride over the cold tiles of the hospital floor. The strain in his face was painful to witness, though Alice knew he would find relief soon enough.

The clock on the wall seemed to be taunting them. With each second hand click it felt like an hour had passed, particularly for Chris. He was sweaty and covered with dirt and looked more like a vagabond than a prep school honor roll student.

"We have to report that you're alright," Alice finally told him, "The whole town thinks you're missing. No one knows that you're alright."

"After I see my dad," he said back immediately, shaking his head.

The steel, gray door that separated them from the wing in the hospital where Chris's dad had been taken burst open and a young nurse with curly, black hair stared at the three of them with a clipboard. Alice was the only one to smile, because she had already seen her message ahead of time.

Chris's eyes were wide with fear and he couldn't keep his eyes off of her.

"You're the relatives of Dr. Martin?" she asked skeptically, taking in the appearance of the three of them.

"Yes!" Chris said immediately. "I'm his son."

"We're... related to Dr. Cullen," Alice told the young lady. "Caleb and Chris are friends."

"You're Christopher?" she asked, eyes widening slightly.

He nodded, "Yes. Please tell me what happened to my dad."

"He's alright," she assured him, "And in stable condition. Your father is going to be fine with a lot of rest in the near future."

Relief passed through him and he held his chest for a moment.

The nurse's eyes landed on Alice, "If it wasn't for Dr. Cullen he might not have been so lucky."

Chris's eyes flickered and he glanced at his immortal counterparts.

"He took very good care of him," she added.

"Thank you," Alice said with a nod.

"Chris," the nurse said, returning her gaze to the young man, "Your mother is already in here." She narrowed her eyes, "We've all heard the report that you were... kidnapped."

He sighed, and she decided not to pry.

"Come with me," she said with a smile. "Please. I'm sure your parents will be happy to see that you're alright."

Chris followed closely behind the nurse, leaving Alice, Caleb and Delilah behind in the waiting room.

Caleb turned to Alice. "Are we going to be okay?" he asked, "Will Chris be able to... keep our secret?"

She nodded. "We'll need to continue to monitor him a little. He's going through a lot in a short period of time... but yes. He'll come to us in the near future for more information."

"So for now..."

"He's just happy to see his parents," she concluded with a half smile.

The nurse lead Chris down the hall into the room where his father laid flat with his eyes halfway open and tubes in his nose. Next to him, his mother held his hand as he was answering a series of simple questions from Carlisle.

As he rounded into the room, Carlisle stopped what he was doing and stepped back as the parents laid eyes on their formerly missing child.

"Chris!" the two of them perked up at the same time, and Carlisle glanced at his co-worker and now patient as he heard his heart rate pick up.

Chris looked at the two of them, and then broke down in the tears he had been fighting back for days. His mother rushed up and threw her arms around him, holding him close to her and sobbed immediately.

"Christopher," she balled, "Oh my gosh." Tears streamed down her face and she continued to hold him against her. "My baby... where... are you okay?"

Chris nodded, unable to speak, and the two of them approached the bed where his dad laid.

"I'll give you some privacy," Carlisle said to them.

Dr. Martin looked up and gave an appreciative smile as tears welded in the corners of his eyes.

Carlisle rounded out of the room and wandered down the hallway through the same steel door that the nurse had emerged from moments before.

"Dad." Caleb stood up and rushed the door.

"He's alright," Carlisle stated the obvious, "Thank God."

Alice nodded. "His friends weren't so lucky."

Carlisle wanted more details, though he knew it wasn't the proper forum for the discussion. "We'll have to discuss all of this at home," he suspected, hinting a question in the way he phrased the sentence.

She nodded again. "We have a lot to talk about."

"I'm going to stay here and monitor his progress," Carlisle explained, "His heart rate increased significantly when Chris entered the room so he's at risk right now. I want to be sure I'm available if something should happen." He looked at Caleb.

"What time will you be home?" his son asked.

Carlisle glanced at the clock on the wall, "I'd like to stick around for another couple of hours." He thought for a moment, "Before two in morning," he told him.

Caleb nodded, "Okay." He wasn't sure what he would think of his discovery of Chris in the cave.

"I'm glad you found Chris alive," Carlisle told him, as if reading his thoughts, "His parents are very happy; very lucky."

"He knows, Dad," Caleb said, "About everything. Vincent-"

"We'll talk at home," he assured him again, placing a hand on his son's shoulder. He then brought him in for a hug. "Go right home and stay there. Tell the others to do the same for now." His eyes drifted to meet Alice's.

"We will," she told him.

Carlisle nodded at all of them. "I'll be home soon."

The three of them turned to leave and Carlisle went back down the hall, passing by Dr. Martin's room as he went. For a brief second he glanced in, making eye contact with Chris in the process. The two of them shared a mutual stare, each full of questions, though Carlisle continued walking knowing both of them would get answers in time.


	38. It's A Start

**Chapter 38**

"We've come full circle," Jasper commented. He flashed Bella a glance as their family sat around discussing the situation at hand.

"Things worked out last time," Edward reminded them, sliding an arm around Bella's waist.

Carlisle sighed through his nose and paced a few steps. "Their family is getting over the grief of almost losing a son," he said, noting the obvious.

Alice looked up and the two of them made eye contact. "We came up with a story," she explained, "Not a great one... but a story."

Everyone stared in her direction awaiting an explanation.

"They planned a trip and left," she told them, "They followed a map across country that went along with their 'Immortal Society' beliefs."

"And what about Chris's whereabouts the last few days?" Carlisle asked. "What will be his explanation?"

"He went with them," Alice explained, and then added, "But then he had a change of heart because he knew his parents would worry about him."

"Will he stand by this story for now?" Carlisle asked, narrowing his eyebrows.

She nodded, "He has so far. I don't see him changing his mind. Plus his parents are so happy he's alright that they aren't going to be probing for a weak link in his story any time soon."

He sighed, "So there is some time."

"How much does he know?" Emmett asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"That's what I'd like to know," Rosalie agreed with a nod, forming the same pose as her masculine counterpart.

"He knows that our kind exist," Alice explained, "Vincent came in and bit the other two kids and then took them away."

"Why not this kid?" Emmett asked.

She shrugged, "I don't know."

"He's very lucky," Esme said.

"But now we have to make some decisions," Jasper reminded them. "He _is_ lucky, but us? Not so much."

"The question is, how well can he keep a secret," Rosalie pointed out. She looked toward Edward and Bella. "At least Bella had something to lose by opening her mouth."

"We're good friends," Caleb chimed in.

"Good friends and true love are different things," she pointed out, shaking her head, "I mean, how loyal is this kid?"

"What are you suggesting, Rosalie?" Edward asked, a tad snotty in his question.

She glanced at him and hardened her voice, "Not what you're about to imply. I think it's a valid question."

"She's right," Jasper added, "Again, this is a compromise to all of us."

"But it was Aro's son who exposed our kind," Bella reminded them, "Nothing done here is our fault. The Volturi can't punish us for that."

"But they can," Emmett disagreed, shaking his head.

"And it's not just the Volturi to be worried about," Jasper went on, "Humans shouldn't know about us. They _can't_ know about us; at least not in the masses."

"The masses don't know about us," Carlisle reminded him, "It's just Chris."

"Right now," he argued respectfully, raising his eyebrows.

"The important thing is that he's alright," Carlisle told them, beginning to stare around the room at everybody, "I think our next mission will be to get him to trust us."

"Alice," Rosalie turned to her sister and partially changed the subject, "What's going to happen when Chris's story eventually doesn't check out? I mean the kids that went cross country aren't going to be coming back."

"I thought of that," she admitted, "And I don't know exactly what the story will turn to later on... but I'm sure we can figure something out. A tragic death maybe? Car accident? Runaways... something."

"It worked for me," Emmett said, glancing at his wife. "My family grieved but ultimately had to come to terms with my death." He shrugged.

She looked at him for a moment and nodded.

"Unfortunately for those parents," Alice let sympathy show in her expression, "They're not going to be seeing their children again."

"What if they try returning home?" Bella asked, looking around.

"Then they'll be having a serious family meal," Emmett darkly joked, keeping a straight face.

"You think they'd kill their parents?"

He smirked and leaned off the wall where he stood, glancing at Rosalie.

"Bella," she huffed, "Not everyone was brought into this world in the fashion you were. You had prior knowledge of this; preparation. Edward was there to hold your hand and none of us let you fall. Add the mother-child bond you had with Renesme, which I imagine to be more powerful that bloodlust believe it or not, and you were in that perfect recipe for at least a halfway controlled newborn."

Bella's expression softened and she nodded, "I didn't mean-"

"Picture yourself before you met Edward and some random immortal swooping in and turning you." Rosalie glanced at Carlisle, "This isn't in reference to you, it's in reference to what just happened. I'm not relating to myself." She looked back to Bella when he nodded. "Picture being scared and watching your friends get ravaged by a monster that you didn't know existed, and then having it do the same thing to you... you go through the painful transformation not knowing what the hell is happening before blossoming into a dark, new you with a burning sensation in your throat that is a mystery to you, but owns you at the same time. It makes you stalk... it makes you kill... is dehumanizes you to the point that you could quite literally rip your own family member's head off just to expose the blood that is pumping through all the veins that attach it to their body."

Rosalie took in a deep breath and concluded her theatrical analysis of unknowing immortals. "That's what's out there. That's what we're dealing with."

Bella stared at Rosalie, having already known the differences though not quite in the way it had just been laid out in blood thirsty imagery.

Emmett broke the tension when he put a hand on the collar of his shirt where his throat met his chest. He smacked his lips. "Man, I'm thirsty all of a sudden." He looked around as everyone shifted their eyes to him, some with looks as if to say 'really' and others holding back smiles amidst the crisis.

"What?" he asked, pressing his eyebrows together.

Alice glanced around the room, getting back to her main point. "Let me leave it at this," she explained, "Things as of right this minute are okay, but in the very near future we're going to have to tie up some loose ends."

"Lots of them," Rosalie added.

She nodded in agreement. "Yes... but nothing we haven't had to do before."

Rosalie nodded back at her sister. "Agreed."

Edward squeezed Bella's shoulder and smirked at her, "Now you get to be on _this_ side of the conversation," he told her, attempting to get her to smile.

She half-grinned, but quickly let it fade. "I didn't realize the intensity of the choices you guys had to make when dealing with me in the beginning."

"I voted to just eat ya," Jasper smirked, only partially kidding.

Bella cracked a smile and Edward kissed her on the cheek.

"We'll get through this together," Esme assured them, "We've had to make some difficult decisions in the past, and we will in the future. At the end of the day I'm just glad this boy is okay. I have faith that things will work out." She sighed, "I regret what happened to those other two children."

"We may have to take them down," Emmett said, glancing at her with guilty eyes as he knew she wouldn't be a fan of the idea.

Esme made a face, "Or we could try to help them."

There was a divide in ideas amongst them, though at the end of the day they would come to a consensus and live with the decision.

Carlisle looked at Rosalie and Alice, who stood side by side. "Like you've said, we've handled these matters in the past. As long as we think rationally and stick together, this could end better than it's begun."

"Chris will come to the house when his father stabilizes," Alice informed them. "It looks like we've got a few days to continue talking, and to think things over."

"So he'll trust us enough to come here?" Carlisle asked.

She nodded and shrugged again. "If nothing else.. it's a start."


	39. Can You Handle the Truth?

**I apologize for the long delay in my posting on here. Wedding planning has me wrapped up! :) I've also managed to write about 150 pages of an original story that I've been wanting to write for awhile. If anyone is interested in reading a chapter or two please let me know. I would love the feedback (all criticism is welcome!). Thanks :)**

**Chapter 39**

Chris sat on the edge of the couch looking as if he was about to make a run for it any minute; or was at least prepared to. His hands were placed firmly on his knees, so much so that his knuckles began to turn white.

Edward was the only one who had true insight to his thoughts, though Jasper looked alert and uncomfortable from the emotional state of the human boy.

"Chris," Edward spoke as passively as possible. "No one here is going to hurt you." He tried to be reassuring, and could see that Chris wanted to believe him and did to an extend, but there was still the level of distrust and fear that radiated out him.

"I know," he replied, unaware of Edward's abilities. He took a deep breath and then focused on Carlisle.

"I know it couldn't have been easy for you to come here," Carlisle explained, "But I want to thank you for giving us a chance, and for hearing us out."

Chris swallowed hard and kept his eye contact. "Well, it's the least I can do for you saving my father."

"He's back home I've heard," Caleb intervened, looking at his friend.

Chris nodded, half-smiling for a second and then let it fade. "I have a lot of questions," he said, "But honestly I can't even think of any of them right now."

"I understand how uncomfortable this must be for you," Carlisle went on, "But our family would never hurt anybody. We live the same way your does."

"But you're vampires?" He raised his eyebrows awaiting the confirmation.

Carlisle and Esme exchanged a quick glance before he nodded. "Yes."

"But we're not at all like the one who attacked you guys in the cave," Caleb assured him, shaking his head.

"You said before that... that you don't use people for your source of blood," Chris stated.

"That's right," Carlisle told him, "We hunt animals."

"All of you?" he scanned the room at the overabundance of immortals.

"All of us," Alice confirmed with a friendly grin.

Chris's eyes locked on Salvatore for a moment and Edward intervened.

"You're right Chris," he spoke, "He's not the one who took your friends... but he does look similar because they're twins."

Chris slowly turned to meet Edward's eyes. "Did I just say that out loud?" he glanced back at Salvatore again, studying his features.

"No," Edward assured him. "I, uh, I can read your mind."

The boy stared at him for a moment, and the color began to drain from his face.

"I don't... I, um..." he stuttered and struggled to catch his breath before fainting and falling back onto the couch.

Carlisle rushed over to him and Mackenzie was the first to dart into the other room. She came back with a bottle of water and quickly rushed to Chris's side as Carlisle helped him back into a seated position on the couch as he began to come to.

Chris opened and closed his eyes slowly several times and put a hand on his head.

"Esme," Carlisle said, turning to his wife, "Could you please get him a warm towel or cloth to put on his forehead?"

"Of course." She quickly scooted out of the room and Mackenzie placed the bottle of water in Chris's nearly limp hand.

"What just happened?" he asked, looking around at everyone in front of him.

"You passed out," Mackenzie explained, "Just for a few seconds." She then looked to Carlisle, "Should he drink the water?"

"It wouldn't hurt," Carlisle said with a nod.

Chris looked at Mackenzie and took a deep breath before taking a small sip.

Esme returned to the living room and sat on his other side, placing the compress across his forehead.

Chris's eyes closed for a moment and he leaned his head back against the cushion. He took another swig from the water bottle and then breathed in heavily once before slowly letting it out.

"I'm sorry," Carlisle told him, "I know this must be a hard concept to take in. You've been through a lot."

He swallowed hard. "I don't plan on telling anybody any of this," he said, "If that's what you're worried about."

"That's exactly what we're worried about," Jasper told him, drawing a look of disapproval from both Carlisle and Esme.

"My biggest concern is that you're alright," Carlisle told him, "We want to find Vincent, the one who did this to your friends so he can't do it anymore."

"Will you be able to kill him?" Chris asked. He looked around again. "I can't believe I didn't pick up on any of this before." He turned to Caleb. "I knew something was up with you. You and Delilah and everyone else, your sister and Michael. You all look the same... different but the same. Your family moved here, left and came back. You disappeared with that other guy from the cave that night..." Chris shook his head. "I never would have guessed this though." He laughed, slightly madly, to himself. "My brain can't process that this is all real even though I saw it with my own eyes."

"I can understand where you're coming from," Bella chimed in. "I was human not all that long ago. Well, compared to everyone else. I couldn't fully comprehend it all either, but at some point you have to let your mind give in and accept what it is." She softened her voice a bit. "These are good people," she told him, looking around the room. "Carlisle... he's a doctor. He's a vampire and a doctor and he's never hurt anybody in three hundred years."

"Three hundred..." Chris's voice trailed off.

"Everyone here, they're not monsters. They're... people." She looked at Edward, "Just a little stronger... and faster... and with diets a little different."

"A little different? That's the understatement of the year," Chris said, smiling genuinely for the first time.

Bella smiled back, "I guess you're right."

He looked around at everyone again. "Where are your fangs?"

Emmett was the first to set off a series of laughter from everyone. Chris half-smiled again but he wasn't wholly aware of what was funny.

"There are a lot of myths about our kind," Rosalie explained.

"A lot of myths," Emmett echoed. He put an arm around Rosalie, "I mean, does this look like a vampire from some movie to you?"

"She looks more like an angel," Chris said, and then turned his face more serious. "I'm sorry. Was that out loud?"

Emmett and Rosalie began to laugh again, as did a few others.

"There's a lot to know about our kind," Alice added, "And we'd like to explain all of it to you if you'll listen."

"What the hell, right?" Rosalie said with a shrug, "He already knows too much. He might as well get the whole truth."

"Do you think you can handle it?" Mackenzie asked him, eying the bottle of water for a moment.

Chris turned to look at her and then took a sip of water, sensing she was about to suggest that he continue to drink. He took a deep breath and straightened up a bit on the couch. Color had begun to restore itself in his cheeks.

"Yeah," he said. "Yes, I want to know everything."


	40. Bella's Story

**I have been away from Cullen-land for far too long! I've actually begun an original story if anyone is interested. It's on the Wattpad site (wattpad dot com/story/47506502-shadows-of-ivy-number-eight) If the link doesn't work, you should be able to search the title Shadows of Ivy. If anyone wants a synopsis, please just let me know, but there is one on the site. Thanks all!**

**Chapter 40**

"I feel like this is all some kind of dream," Chris spoke, "Half nightmare, half... I don't know."

He sat upright in the same seat, staring at the faces all around him. Esme had left partway into the family's descriptions of things to get him another bottle of water and a cup of chamomile tea.

Questions ran through Chris's mind so rapidly that he didn't know where to start. He'd gotten Emmett's version, and was the odd combination of amused and frightened by his details of the life. Esme's share had been more comforting. Carlisle had kept emphasizing their lifestyle choices. Edward and Bella attempted to explain their story, with lots of positive emphasis on the life. Caleb and most of the other kids were nothing but positive, as was Alice. Jasper and Rosalie appeared as if they wanted to speak but were purposely silent. It was all too much to take in at once.

"I think we need to give Chris some space," Edward suggested. He eyed Jasper for a moment, who's stiff posture finally eased up and his statue-like stare shifted.

"Yes," he agreed. "The anxiety radiating out of him is-"

"Come on, hun." Alice linked her arm through his and kissed him on the cheek. "We can go... do something."

Chris stared at the two of them, and then back to Edward, who suppressed at laugh but couldn't contain a smile.

"What?" Bella asked him quietly.

"He wants to know how Alice and Jasper are a couple, her being so perky and Jasper being so... not."

Chris's eyes widened and he looked around, "I said that?" he put a hand on forehead.

"No," Edward said, shaking his head.

Emmett snickered and stood up, "Edward can-"

"Let's go," Rosalie towed him by the arm away. "That'll be a revelation for another time."

"I'm so confused," Chris admitted, watching as a few of the other Cullen family members filtered out.

"I think he needs some space," Esme agreed.

"I'd like to stay," Bella said. She glanced at Chris, "Do you mind?"

He shook his head and then reached for the tea Esme had brought him for the first time.

Mackenzie took a seat in a big, comfortable chair in the corner of the room and brought her knees to her chest as she listened. Caleb, too, stayed and Edward lightly ran a hand across Bella's back as he exited the room.

"So, the Volturi are basically like the mafia of your vampire world?" Chris asked. "They sent that guy to the cave to get us?"

Bella's face twisted slightly, as she hated speaking of the Volturi. "They left you alive for a reason," she explained, "And we just have to figure that out."

He nodded, taking another sip of tea.

"Our family," she went on, "We just kind of want to be left alone. We want to live peacefully. The guy Vincent who came to see you is Salvatore's twin brother. Salvatore and their sister Lucy left the Volturi because of what they do."

"Why don't they just leave you alone, then?" Chris asked casually, as if having a normal conversation.

Bella shrugged. "I don't know." She glanced at Caleb for a moment, who stood hovering above where she squatted in front of Chris. "I knew about this life before I became a vampire. I was in high school and-"

"You fell in love with Edward. He's been alive since the early 1900's."

She smiled and looked down shyly, "You've heard our story... I know."

"No, I'm not saying it like that," Chris said, shaking his head.

"It was all a bit much for me," Bella admitted, "I had my suspicions about a few things, but I remember the exact moment I _really_ knew it for sure; the moment Edward more or less confirmed it with me. I can see it all clearly still." Her eyebrows pressed together and she stood up straight, reliving the moment. She took a moment to realize how chilling the moment was. She never felt threatened, or truly scared, but knowing that vampires existed... Bella's thoughts drifted off.

"How did it happen?"

Bella snapped back to the present and made eye contact with Chris. "We were in the woods just outside of our high school." She nodded as she spoke. "I knew Edward wouldn't let me go alone, and when he followed me to a place where no one else was I stood with my back to him. I confronted him."

"How?"

She sighed. "I don't know why I didn't face him when I said the world aloud. Maybe it scared me to say it, I don't know. A part of me felt like he might laugh in my face for even suggesting it, but there was no denying what he was." Bella shifted her eyes to Caleb and Mackenzie, who were both sitting on the edges of their seats as they listened. "He'd stopped a van from crushing me with his bare hands," she explained, "And right then I knew he was different. My guess was a superhero," she smiled to herself and then continued, "But then I began my research," adding dryly, "Yay, Google."

"How did you put it all together?" Chris asked.

"A few other things happened after that. Edward and Jasper, Alice, Emmett and Rosalie, they'd all miss class whenever the weather was nice. We lived in a place where it rained a lot, and unlike the myth that vampires die in the sunlight, I quickly found out that they _could_ be out at all hours of the day."

"So why'd they skip school then?"

"Our skin is different in the sunlight. It's got a sort of shimmer... like diamonds. People would know we were different." Bella knew she was echoing Edward's words to her from many years before, and couldn't help but smile to herself in reliving their earliest days together as a couple. "He was fast... his skin was cold... he never ate or drank anything. He denied the superhero notion and called himself 'the bad guy', but I knew he wasn't. When I put it all together I was a little frightened I guess, but I knew he wouldn't hurt me."

Bella looked at Caleb who smiled just slightly. She grinned back for a moment, and then refocused on Chris. "That's why I chose the woods. I knew he was a vampire walking up there, and when he asked me to say the word aloud, I just couldn't face him. I trusted him. He asked me later if I was afraid, but I wasn't - not of him." She sighed, "We went through a crazy first few years, and he would never turn me into what he was, even though I wanted to."

"Why did he?" Chris asked, leaning forward the way the other two were.

"He didn't really have another alternative," Bella told them, "I had just had a baby... I was dying and to save me he bit me and then injected his venom into my heart."

His eyes widened.

"It sounds really unromantic," she said with another light laugh, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "But I can't help it being one of my favorite moments. Our daughter was brought into the world safely. I woke up into this new life. And I've gotten to be with Edward and everyone else here since then."

"Wow." Chris took everything in and then pinpointed a small detail of the last part of her story. "Wait, venom?"

Bella laughed again. "Yeah. It has a lot of purposes for vampires. One of them is changing a human into one of us. None of us have really done that though... aside from Edward and Carlisle."

Chris snapped his head to the right and eyed Caleb. "Your uncle... or your dad, I mean?"

"Only because they were dying," Bella and Caleb said at the same time.

"Carlisle changed Edward because he was dying of the Spanish Influenza. He changed Esme because she had... fallen... off of a cliff and was near death. The same thing happened with Rosalie and Emmett."

"What about you?" Chris asked Caleb.

"I was born," he explained.

"Like normal born? Like humans are born?"

Caleb chuckled. "Yeah. And the perk for me and the others is that we never have craved human blood. It must be a form of evolution. My father has never consumed human blood in hundreds of years. I don't even feel the slightest temptation for it the way Bella, or someone else might."

Chris's face jolted back to Bella, who began to laugh.

"You're safe," she assured him, putting her hands up.

"Oh, yeah," Caleb added, "She's got a great track record two - zero humans she's killed."

"What about the others?" he asked, "Have they ever killed a human?"

Bella and Caleb exchanged a glance, and then looked at him.

Chris took a longer swig of the tea, already knowing the answer by their facial expressions. "I'm guessing that'll be a story for another day."

Bella nodded slowly. "Yeah."

"Want something a little stronger to put in that tea?" Caleb joked, but kept a straight face.

Chris took in a deep breath through his nose and huffed out the word in a half-kidding fashion. "Yeah."


	41. Should We Stay or Should We Go

**Chapter 41**

Carlisle spoke quietly. He looked across the room at Esme. "I'm not sure what to do," he confessed.

"Alice has seen Chris's decision to keep our secret," she reminded him.

He nodded. "This situation is far more difficult than Bella's was."

Esme nodded back in agreement. "I know. It's much different."

"All Chris has seen is violence. There must be an underlying fear there that he's holding back."

"I'm sure what he experienced was traumatizing," Esme added. "But fortunately he was left alive."

"Yeah," Carlisle replied, "That is _very_ fortunate." He sighed, "But now we have to figure out why."

Esme's eyes locked back on his, and anxious waves traveled up and down her body. She knew that Carlisle meant the Volturi had some alternative motive that went along with Vincent's attack on the teens, and also sparing Chris's life.

The serious nature of her husband's expression made Esme more anxious. She knew things weren't over by a long shot with the Volturi after everything that had happened in Italy; there were many strings left untied. That being acknowledged, she didn't anticipate an altercation so soon, particularly one that resulted in the loss of life of the kids at Caleb's school.

A knock on the bedroom door snapped the two of them out of their momentary stare down and Esme called, "Come in."

Edward entered the room with Bella and the two of them studied the tense postures of Carlisle and Esme.

"Is everything alright?" Edward asked, attempting to catch up to their thoughts, "Aside from the obvious."

"Would it be best if we were all kind of... split up?" Carlisle blurted out without directly answering the question.

"What?" Esme's voice spoke above the others. "What do you mean split up?"

Carlisle shrugged humbly. "The Volturi know where we are. If we were scattered then-"

"No," she cut him off.

Edward and Bella sat back and took in the conversation.

"Esme, you and I would stay together, but if-"

"No," she said again, throwing her hands to the sides. "What would Emmett say about splitting up if this were a horror movie?" Her message was satirical but her voice almost cracked with emotion.

"I'd say that's when everyone dies," Emmett called out from somewhere in the house.

"I just thought that maybe they couldn't pinpoint our location if we were... everywhere," Carlisle stated, "That's all. To throw them off."

Edward eyed the ceiling as he pondered the idea.

"Edward..." Esme's voice was threatening in that motherly way when one of her children was about to act up.

"I'm not saying that's what I want," he said, "Or what I think we should do."

Esme looked back to Carlisle and shook her head and then politely excused herself from the room, rounding out behind where Edward and Bella stood.

The three of them didn't say anything. They stood in silence for a moment until Emmett peeked his head in. He looked at Carlisle, smirked and shook his head before scampering away just as fast.

"I didn't meant that it's what I wanted to do," Carlisle said, justifying his idea to Edward and Bella. He sighed, "I don't know if anything I can say can make it sound right."

"I understand," Edward assured him, nodding. "You feel like we're sitting ducks."

"What if we change location again?" Bella suggested.

"We could," Carlisle agreed.

"I think everyone would be happier staying together and leaving than separating," Edward added, looking at Bella.

Emmett slipped back into the room and closed the door quietly behind him. "Fair warning," he said quietly, "Rosalie rushed to Esme and they're doing some major women venting right now."

Carlisle stared back at him with a displeased look on his face.

"I don't think we should split up," Emmett said, "I know what you mean about being sitting ducks, but we can hold our own if they were to attack."

"I don't want more people to die," Carlisle said, "Human or immortal. What happened to the kids here is tragic."

"I know," Emmett agreed with a serious nod, "But I honestly think we're stronger together." He looked at Carlisle in the eye. A softness lingered but seriousness showed in his stare.

"Okay," he said with a nod. "It was a suggestion. It's not what I wanted to do. I just thought it might be best to discuss all options."

The four of them all looked toward the door when they heard Rosalie make a comment that made both Emmett and Bella smirk.

"Gunna be a long night for you," Emmett told Carlisle with a light laugh. He nudged Edward, who gave him a look but Bella couldn't contain a small smile.

"I guess this is when we get back on the internet and search for a new place," Carlisle told them, "But if we leave it's going to look suspicious. We may have to do it in waves."

"But if we leave and never come back here again we won't see these people anymore," Emmett said, "What's it matter?"

"What if they try to connect us with the disappearances of those kids," Edward added, looking at his brother. "They could."

Emmett shrugged. "So we stick it out until a little and then go. It's not like we can't hold our own."

Carlisle agreed but added, "I don't want more innocent people to die."

"We'll protect the school. We protected Bella years ago at her house."

"But that was a house," Edward reminded him.

"No he could be right," Carlisle said, shaking his head. "There are enough people here. We could take shifts guarding the place," and then added, "Discreetly."

"This could have been an attack on Caleb's club," Edward added.

"The Immortal Society?" Emmett commented casually.

"Aro didn't approve," Edward told Carlisle.

"I don't think anyone will be going back to that cave," Carlisle told him. "But we have to assume that Vincent is in the area. We should be on high alert for him to do just about anything."

Emmett nodded confidently.

"Chris seemed... okay," Bella added, "I spoke with him about my experience. He's shaken up, but I mean his reaction could have been a lot worse."

Carlisle nodded. "Thank you, Bella."

"So it's settled," Emmett said, "We're staying."

"For now," Carlisle concluded.

"Let me go get Rose." He smiled, "I'll send Esme back this way."

Carlisle shook his head, "Don't force her. She'll come back to talk when she's ready."

"I love Carlisle-Esme arguments," Emmett whispered to Edward, smirking at Bella again before he left.

"There's no... argument." Carlisle shook his head another time and sat down on the edge of the bed as the door closed behind Emmett.

Edward gave a closed-mouth smile to his father. "I'm sure we'll all be on the same page by morning."


	42. Family

**Chapter 42**

Emmett, Rosalie and Esme all stood together in the upstairs family room. When Carlisle rounded in with his hands in his pockets Rosalie gave him a look.

Esme's face softened. "I'm sorry," she said to him.

Carlisle raised his eyebrows. "I didn't mean to just spout that out," he told her, "It popped into my head and it was just an idea."

"I shouldn't have kept cutting you off," Esme said with a sigh.

Rosalie showed her outward displeasure with Esme's quickness to cave in her disapproval of Carlisle's original idea to split the family up.

"It's an option," Esme added.

"Not anymore," Carlisle told her.

"Because of my reaction?"

"Because we're stronger as a big group."

Emmett nodded slowly and edged Rosalie over so she leaned against him.

Esme turned to them for a moment before looking back at Carlisle. "That would be my vote, but I don't want to dictate the family's decision."

"It's my vote to stay together," Rosalie told them.

"Emmett and I talked a little with Edward and Bella," Carlisle explained, "I think it's best we stay together."

"So are we all planning to move again?" Rosalie asked.

He shook his head. "I think we should get everyone together, but it would look odd for us to leave now... again. With everything that's happened," he shook his head.

"People here would be suspicious of us," Emmett said, "If they aren't already."

"What about our safety?" Esme asked, "And the safety of the people in town? The school? Vincent already managed to harm Caleb's friends already."

"Protection detail," Emmett said, glancing at Rosalie.

"Just like the good old days around Chief Swan's house in Forks." Rosalie grinned at Emmett, but was purposely and outwardly sarcastic.

"The good old days," Emmett echoed, pulling her in for a quick kiss.

"Will we be okay here?" Esme asked, looking at Carlisle.

He nodded. "I think we have to ride this out a little. We can see why the Volturi did what they did and let Alice try to help us figure out this mystery from behind the scenes. I know she can't see Vincent, but she has been able to see Aro and the rest of them. He's worked alone in this, but I doubt he's the only one involved."

"So you think the Volturi are just as strong as ever," Rosalie concluded.

Carlisle nodded. "I do."

"They're mocking as if they're weak from the attacks?"

He shrugged. "I think the attack did its toll on them. I don't know where the Egyptian coven is, or where they stand on everything that happened. It's up in the air right now. Now the incident with Chris... I'm not quite sure what to do. All I do know is that we _are_ stronger as a group, we have a responsibility to the safety of the people in this area, and on top of it we need to stay to preserve our human alibis."

"So Step One," Emmett said, "We stay and continue to aid in Chris keeping his mouth shut."

Carlisle and Esme both gave him a look.

"Just an expression," he assured them with a smirk.

"We're staying to protect him," Carlisle reassured him.

"I know."

"Don't be fresh," Rosalie scolded with a grin.

"I don't want the kids roaming around alone," Esme told them, "Our kids, yours, Alice and Jasper's..."

"Nah, they're too dimwitted," Emmett said with a laugh.

Rosalie hit him in the arm and then refocused back on Carlisle and Esme. "At least Nicole has Salvatore."

"Yeah, if he doesn't swap teams on us," Emmett said again, prompting a hard smack on the top of his chest from his wife.

"Cut it out!" she said to him firmly. "Nicole is safe. Salvatore is with us."

"Yes dear," he joked, and then looked at Carlisle. "That's a line I've learned to say on repeat over the years."

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "So much for a serious conversation."

Caleb entered the room in a hurry and looked at his parents. "Chris went home," he said, a hint of urgency in his voice.

"Is he alright?" Esme asked.

He nodded, sounding out of breath. "Yeah."

"Did he go alone?" Carlisle asked.

Caleb shook his head. "Alice took him. Mackenzie and Nicole went with her."

"Well, if he says anything when he gets home then we bail," Rosalie said aloud. "Right?"

Carlisle and Esme exchanged a glance. "I suppose so," he said. "I don't know." He was outwardly conflicted.

"Shall we cross that bridge if we come to it?" Emmett asked.

Carlisle's phone went off and he reached into his pocket. He tipped his mouth up in a half-smile and tilted his phone so Esme could read it.

"What?" Rosalie asked, eyeing their expressions.

"Alice," Esme said, "She is assuring everyone that Chris will be fine."

Emmett laughed, "Well in that case, I may play a little X-Box with my offspring."

"Em..." Rosalie pleaded with him with her eyes. "This could be serious."

Carlisle's phone went off again, and he managed a laugh for the first time in days. "Alice says it's not serious... at least tonight."

Emmett smiled wider and kissed Rosalie on the cheek. "Leisure time?" he asked, dimples twinkling in full effect.

"Who am I to stop you?" she waved a hand and shook her head as he called for William.

"They're like twins, it's scary," Rosalie said to Esme, heading out of the room as Emmett began to set up the game system.

Carlisle reached for Esme's hand and towed her down the hallway. When they were a step outside of their room he turned and looked at her.

"I apologize," he said again, "I just want to be clear that I didn't mean that you and I should split up. I never would have left you or the kids alone."

"I know," Esme assured him with a nod. "I just... needed a minute." She flashed a half-smile making Carlisle grin wider.

"I know Edward and Bella are stable; they can handle themselves. So can Emmett and Rosalie, Jasper and Alice... I intended for our families to relocate to different parts of the country so the Volturi couldn't hone in on one of us."

Esme leaned in and kissed him, closing her eyes as their lips connect. "I'm sorry for walking out. I shouldn't have done that. I didn't mean to."

"You needed a minute," Carlisle told her, "It's okay." He pulled her against his body and kissed her forehead before Esme titled her head up and kissed him another time.

"Our family is stronger together," she told him.

"I agree."

"I need them," she added.

"I know," Carlisle said, "Me too."

The two of them shared another kiss before wandering back down the stairs.


	43. A Hug or A Slug

**Chapter 43**

The first day back at school was torturous. The looks Chris was getting; the stares, the whispers... they got more obnoxious and blatant as the school day progressed.

Caleb and Delilah found themselves under the same scrutiny. Every time either of them entered a classroom the students stared hard in their direction. Caleb recognized their eyes; it was a combination of fear and accusation.

A few times he almost called out his classmates, wanting desperately to yell the word _WHAT?_ in their faces. His natural peaceful nature kept him from doing so, though he was beginning to think it was justified. The worst part was that he could hear every whisper; every gossip-ridden thought that was meant to be kept hidden from his ears.

_At least Chris doesn't have to hear people calling him a killer_, he thought.

Caleb sighed and recognized that his life as a vampire didn't require him to be there at school; it didn't require him to do anything really. A part of him wanted to just escape it all and leave. The other part of him knew he couldn't leave Chris to fend for himself amongst the judgemental, young teens, especially when he felt partially repsonsible for what had happened.

Caleb entered his foreign language class and felt it again - twenty sets of eyes on him, including those of the teacher.

_This sucks_, he thought, finding a seat in the back. He shook his head and looked out the window at the rain that had begun to pelt the window. _It's going to be a long year._

...

Esme wandered into Caleb's bedroom to put away some clothes. She glanced around his fairly neat room, straightening up some things before opening a drawer to put a collection of socks away.

She eyed a leather-bound book in the drawer and glanced over her shoulder before removing it from its place.

When Esme opened it, she immediately recognized that it was all written in her son's handwriting. Her eyes scanned over the first few paragraphs of his first entry and she suddenly realized they were written during his brief stay in Volterra.

The picture was painted so clear. She could feel Caleb's emotion through his writing.

_He must have been so scared_, she thought.

Esme put a hand subconsciously against the side of her face as she continued to read. The details of the room he was in allowed her to see the stone walls and the bookshelves. She could smell the musty air and hear the muffled voices of Volturi members all around the mansion.

When Esme got to the next page, she wasn't prepared for what Caleb had written. There were apologies written to family members, and lots of thanks and praise for giving him love for the 'short life' he lived. He thanked Carlisle for all the wisdom and for raising him right. He adoration for his brothers and sisters poured out, and his undying love for his mother is what pushed Esme over the edge.

A single tear dropped onto the page just a few words away from where _Mom_ was written. Esme sat down on the edge of his bed with her back to the door and held the book to her chest. She began to sob as silently as possible, attempting to have the privacy she needed for such a moment.

Venom tears filled her eyes and made the world around her blurry for a moment until she blinked them away. Esme then sniffled in once and attempted to continue reading.

Caleb had left a love letter to Delilah, and when the words turned slightly personal Esme closed the journal and replaced it where she'd originally gotten it from, packing Caleb's socks over the top of it as she'd intended to do in the first place.

The imagery of his time in Volterra left Esme feeling overwhelmed, and she was so thankful to have her son back.

"Mama!" Marshall sprung into the room with a smile on his face.

Esme nearly jumped and dried her eyes the best she could before turning around. Without thinking much of it she ran over to her youngest son and hugged him hard as she picked him up off the ground.

"Too tight!" He called with a giggle.

"Oh, sorry." Esme laughed back and a tear managed to sneak out.

Marshall pointed toward her eyes. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm not," she lied, smiling wider.

"I want to go kick the ball with Alex and Michael," he told her, not at all pressing the issue.

Esme grinned at him. "Did they say that was okay?"

Marshall turned his head at the sound of his sister's voice.

"Yep!" Alex called, "We told him to ask you."

"That's fine," Esme called, clearing her throat just after.

"I can?" Marshall asked, excited as he smacked his hands together.

"You can." She squatted down and put her arms out to the sides. "Can I have another hug?"

He took a step in and laid his head down on her shoulder for a moment as Esme secured him to her for a moment. She took in a deep breath and then pulled away.

"Have fun," she said, "No leaving the back yard."

"Okay." Marshall began to exit the room.

"And you do whatever your sister and Michael tell you."

"Okay," he repeated.

Esme smiled to herself as she heard his feet scampering down the staircase. A moment later she heard Michael's voice and the sound of a ball bouncing once inside before a door opened and they left the house.

She took in the room for a moment and closed her eyes. Esme had a bad feeling about the Volturi. She knew they couldn't do the same dance forever without eventually losing a family member. There had to be some way to end it.

"Hey," a hushed voice made Esme's eyes snap open and she gave Emmett a closed-mouth grin as he entered the room.

"Hey," she said back.

"You okay?" He kept his voice quiet.

Esme nodded. "Yeah."

Emmett approached her and wrapped his big arms around her and began to rub her back.

Esme welcomed the embrace and felt the same emotion build back up in her chest.

"We're going to be okay," Emmett told her, "We always are."

She wanted to reply with, _I know_, but she couldn't do it with all honesty. The truth was, she didn't know if they would always be alright - not with the way things were going.

"I don't want anything to happen to any of you," Esme told him.

"We've got each other," he reminded her.

"Yeah, I know." She swallowed hard and sighed against his t-shirt. "But sooner or later..." Esme shook her head and didn't finish the thought. She couldn't bring herself to.

"No one will ever hurt you while I'm around, Esme." Emmett's voice was confident. "Physically or emotionally. No one will hurt your children without having to go through all of us first."

"You _are_ my children, too," she reminded him. "I want you to be safe, Emmett."

"I'm not scared of anything, or anyone."

Esme knew he was telling the truth. "I know." She sighed.

"Everything else okay?"

She nodded against him, and then pulled back. "Thank you, Emmett. I needed that."

Emmett grinned back, "I'm here whenever you need a big man hug... or if you need me to slug somebody in the face. Your pick."

Esme laughed. His positive mood was always contagious. "Thanks."

He held up a hand for a high five, one which she returned and then he smiled and left the room.

Esme glanced around for a moment and then turned the light off as she left. She appreciated the moment with Emmett, as it quickly changed her demeanor and left her feeling a little revived. Esme knew there was nothing her family couldn't fix.


	44. Bounty

**Chapter 44**

Carlisle was slumped in the seat in his office and sat with his eyes closed. The stress and guilt of the situation with Chris and the other kids weighed on him heavier than it did anyone else. He hated knowing that their presence played a role in the death and disappearance of young lives. On the same note he didn't know what was going to happen with Chris and the Martin family and he was sure the Volturi were scheming up something of great magnitude.

He didn't attempt to hide or secure his thoughts. He mentally vented, allowing them to run wild through his mind. He replayed visions of worst case scenarios. He imagined what the kids in the cave went through and compared it to his own brutal transformation. He wondered if the kids were vampires or if they were dead. From the body count on the news he assumed he knew the answer. Two newborn vampires with no self-control and Vincent as their guide was a recipe for disaster.

Carlisle also worried about Caleb's state of mind. His son was extremely immature with regards to the length of his life. He had dealt with a lot, but now he had to face the untimely fate of high school friends. Edward had mentioned once or twice that Caleb felt guilt and some personal responsibility for the Immortal Society they'd created amongst themselves. He faulted himself for what had happened.

Edward entered the room through Carlisle's closed door and stared at him.

"Alright, I couldn't help it anymore," he said, "You can't do this to yourself."

Carlisle didn't change his position in the chair but lifted his eyes from the floor to meet Edward's. "I don't know what the right thing to do here is Edward."

"We came up with a plan."

"For now."

"You think it won't be okay?"

Carlisle swallowed and took a deep breath in through his nose. "Something is going to happen," he said with certainty. "Something major is going to erupt in this town. Those two kids are vampires. People are dying. More people will die if we don't get a grip on this situation. They're impossible to track with Vincent at their side."

Edward hated seeing Carlisle feeling this way. He was typically the rock of their family, and there was no way he would show his insecurities in front of the rest of the family. Edward was always in his head, so there was no use in trying to hide his thoughts and feelings. Edward couldn't help but feeling, however, a bit anxious in knowing that Carlisle's views were not optimistic.

Alice entered the room next, and from the look on her face, both of them knew something wasn't right.

"Alice..." Carlisle stood up.

She shook her head. "I managed to get Esme out of the house, and some of the others, because you need to hear this."

Edward closed his eyes as he read her mind and the anxious crease between his eyebrows made Carlisle's chest tighten.

"What is it?" Carlisle asked "Why did you have Esme leave the house?"

Alice's lack of immediate response made Carlisle frantic and he stared at her waiting. "Alice..." He repeated her name again.

She looked down and Edward glanced at Carlisle.

"This is worse than hearing what you're going to say," Carlisle told the two of them. "Please..."

"It's the Volturi," Edward told him. He then looked to Alice so she could share the most vivid detail of her vision.

"Aro didn't use the mask of Vincent to make this plan," she explained, "So, I'm guessing he doesn't care if we know about it."

"What plan?" Carlisle asked.

Alice and Edward exchanged a glance.

"He set a bounty," Alice explained.

"What?"

"Caius came up with the idea, and Aro decided to put it into action," Alice went on.

"What is the idea, Alice?" Carlisle asked.

She looked down again, and then back to him. "He put a bounty out on Caleb's head to any and all vampires."

"What?"

"If someone brings him Caleb, dead or alive..." Alice shook her head. "They'll get a lifetime pardon from any act they take. If they're already under the Volturi's microscope then all wrongdoings will be forgotten."

Carlisle stared at Alice, and Edward stared at Carlisle.

Carlisle slowly sat back down in his seat and took in a deep breath. He looked back at Alice. "Have you seen how this ends?"

She shook her head. "But..." Alice hesitated again. "I've seen covens talking it over. It looks like some people are interested in the offer."


	45. Surprise Visitor

**Sorry for extra long delay on this story/series!**

**Chapter 45**

"Amun?" Carlisle shook his head. "He can't be-"

"I've seen Aro claiming to spare the life of Benjamin despite all he has done to the Volturi. That's why Amun and Kebi are contemplating the offer."

"There's no way they'll go through with it." He shook his head, but wasn't sure of his own words.

Edward paced the room, thinking, with his hands behind his back. "I don't know, Carilsle."

The two of them made eye contact.

"He was awfully quick to want to bail when it came to the disagreement over Renesme," Edward went on.

"But they came," Carlisle reminded him, "They made the trip."

"Reluctantly, at best." He shook his head, "Amun will put Benjamin's security over Caleb's."

"Who's to say they won't go back on their word?" Bella chimed in, "Amun would have to be foolish to think that the Volturi will honor what they've said about protecting Benjamin."

"They're manipulating him," Alice explained. She shook her head and then squinted as she attempted to relive the vision detail by detail.

"We have to go," Edward said, shaking his head.

"But the people of the town are in danger," Carlisle argued.

"If we leave why would Vincent and the others stay?"

"Why isn't Aro just coming to take control of the situation here if Vincent knows where we are?" Bella chimed in again. "I mean, why put a bounty out?"

"Power," Alice explained, "And to get the members of the community on their side in case we were all to come head to head again. He's the one trying to organize a group against us... similarly to the way we did over Renesme. " She looked at Edward and Bella, "Only their intentions are obviously different than ours."

"Obviously," Bella said, slumping back against the wall with her arms folded over her chest. She glanced at Edward for a moment, who stepped in and put an arm around her shoulders.

"You think if we go, they'll go?" Carlisle asked, referring to Vincent and the others.

"I do," Edward said. He looked at Alice.

"I would assume so, yes." She nodded in agreement with her brother.

Carlisle sighed. He recognized they were dealing with a type of double-edged sword. "If they follow we'll never truly be at safe."

"I know," Alice said to him, staring at him with a subtle, underlying confidence.

He didn't break eye contact. "You have an idea?"

"Nothing we haven't done before." She glanced over her shoulder toward where Edward and Bella were standing.

"What?" Bella asked. She looked at Alice for a moment before switching her gaze to her husband.

"Yeah." Edward nodded, not looking away from Alice.

"What is it, Alice?" Carlisle asked her.

"I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head, "I don't mean to have these long pauses in between... it's just that Edward and I, we-"

"It's okay," he assured her, "You don't have to explain."

Alice smirked at him. "We'll have to do what we did with Bella and James."

"You mean-"

"Draw them in the wrong direction," Edward concluded.

"Caleb can go with Nicole and Salvatore," Alice said, "I know it's not ideal, and that you would probably rather have him with-"

"I trust you Alice," Carlisle interrupted. "I trust Nicole."

"It may be the only way for Caleb to ditch them."

"So we'll keep his scent with us; have someone where his clothes?"

Alice nodded, "It worked last time."

"For awhile," Edward reminded them, "What happens if the Volturi get wind of it and then Caleb, Nicole and Salvatore are on their own to face all of them?"

She sighed and looked down, appearing as if she wanted to smack him in the back of the head.

"Salvatore is still Aro's son," Bella pointed out, "And how would they be able to track them if Salvtore's scent is masking theirs? He's untraceable."

"Maybe they could head toward Denali," Carlisle said, thinking aloud, and then shook his head, "I'm sure they've relocated."

"If they're not taking Aro's bait," Edward scoffed.

"They'd never betray us like that," Carlisle argued, "Not when it came to Caleb's life."

"I used to think so, but after Irena turned her back on us and went to the Volturi when Renesme was young, it wouldn't surprise me."

"Madison is here." He shook his head, "And Kate and Garrett risked their lives standing up to the Volturi."

"All the more reason to agree to Aro's terms," Edward said. "To spare their lives."

Carlisle shook his head again, "They wouldn't. I believe that."

"I believe that too," Alice agreed. "They're family."

"So our next step is to go, then," Carlisle concluded, "Leave this all behind."

"Yes," she told him, "But I think it would be smart to give Caleb a head start. We should all stay. Nicole and Salvatore can take him away. It may be difficult to convince her but if Delilah stays back with us it'll be all the more believable."

Edward sighed and his hand squeezed Bella's shoulder.

"It's a solid strategy," Bella agreed. She shrugged and slunk back against him.

Edward's mixed feelings showed on his face.

Bella looked up at him, "I was the one who screwed that plan up the first time around. I thought James had my mom."

"You didn't screw it up," Edward argued. "You thought your mother was in danger."

"Well it would have worked if I didn't let him manipulate me."

Carlisle's eyes suddenly squinted just slightly and he looked at Alice, who appeared more confused that usual. A moment later the doorbell rang and he let the name roll of his tongue that accompanied the scent that the four of them picked up on.

"Alistair."


	46. Everything's Happening So Fast

**Chapter 46**

Carlisle didn't know what to think. What was Alistair doing at their house? After all the talk about Caleb and the bounty he feared the worst. While he had faith in his old acquaintance, he didn't rule out the real possibility of him accepting the offer for a lifetime's pardon on any and all discretion.

_Where's Caleb?_ Carlisle repeated the question in his mind and Edward was the first to bolt from the room to look for him, or find out where he might be.

"Alistair," Esme's voice came from downstairs. "What a surprise..." Her voice trailed off.

Carlisle rushed down the stairs with Alice and Bella close behind and when he saw the old vagabond vampire a step inside the door his entire body tightened.

"Carlisle," Esme spoke again. She turned to him with a smile but quickly let it fade as she studied his fearful, suspicious expression. His eyes was half-squinted and his jawline was stern.

"Hello Carlisle," Alistair spoke. He tipped his mouth up in a half-smile that just as quickly disappeared.

"Alistair." He stepped forward to stand beside Esme, who was joined on the other side by Alice.

"I don't mean to drop in unannounced, but I came to warn you."

Carlisle decided to play it dumb. "About what?"

"The Volturi," he explained, "They're plotting against your son and there are others headed this way, probably now, in an attempt to seek him out."

"What?" Esme asked. "Caleb?"

"Indeed." Alistair's eyes shifted back to meet Carlisle's, "I don't suppose you thought I'd be the one coming for him."

Carlisle continued to stare but didn't say anything back. He allowed his friend to continue, as he assumed his claims were not over.

"I feel as though I owe you at least something for backing out on our last meeting with them together." Alistair took in a deep breath and studied the high ceilings. "Modest," he said dryly.

"How did you know where to find us?" Carlisle asked.

"You've got to find a better hiding spot than this if you intend to keep your son safe," Alistair said plainly. "Aro knows right where to find you and he's pointed every immortal he could gather in this direction. He won't do the dirty work himself, but he's not been shy about sending others this way."

"Carlisle, we have to get Caleb and go," Esme said, panic-stricken in her tone.

"We have to stay," he countered, shaking his head, "Caleb has to go."

"What?" she asked.

"Remember when James was after Bella?" he asked her, "While she was still a human."

"Yes." Esme looked into his eyes.

"We have to send Caleb away... send him with Salvatore."

"And Nicole," Alice added, "They'll keep him safe."

"You've seen this?" Esme asked.

"Some of it," she explained, "I was just informing Carlisle before Alistair showed up."

"Caleb..." Esme swallowed hard and looked around the house, trying to figure out amidst the anxiety she was feeling where her son was. When Edward burst through the door practically carrying him back the back of his shirt, Caleb shook his head and waved his hands in protest.

"What are you doing?" he asked, sounding just the part of typical teenager. "Stop..."

"Take off your jacket," Edward ordered.

"Why?"

"Caleb," Esme hugged him and Caleb gave her a look, and then stared over at Alistair.

"I'd do as he says," Alistair said to Caleb, who slowly began to strip off his jacket.

Edward took it without another word, throwing it on before rushing out of the room to find Jasper and Emmett.

"What's going on?" Caleb asked.

"You've got to get out of here," Alistair explained calmly. "Others are coming here to kill you."

Caleb pressed his eyebrows together and looked at Carlisle.

Alice abruptly made her way out of the front foyer of the home and rushed to find her daughter and Salvatore.

"Can we trust Salvatore?" Esme whispered, looking directly are her husband.

"We're going to have to," he said, and then added, "We trust Alice's judgment."

"Pack now," Alistair claimed.

"Won't you be in danger for informing us?" Carlisle asked.

"Aro will be busy for some time looking for your son, Carlisle." He shook his head, "I'll be long gone and off his radar by then."

Carlisle closed his eyes for a moment and then placed a hand on Alistair's shoulder. "Thank you." He swallowed hard and looked his friend in the eye. "Thank you."

"If you'd like I can chase Edward out of here to get the scent from Caleb's jacket leading away. It'll be as if I chased him and then we'll part ways."

Edward, Emmett and Jasper appeared, all dressed in head to toe in Caleb's clothing.

"We'll part at the Great Lakes," Jasper told Alistair.

He nodded in agreement. "We'd better be off. There's not much time."

Esme looked at Carlisle, and there was a simultaneous worry that neither of them could hide, though Carlisle attempted to mask his.

"Where am I going?" Caleb asked.

"Be safe brother." Emmett placed a hand on his shoulder and then ran a hand through his hair as the three of them left with Alistair.

"Where am I going, Mom?"

Everything was happening too fast for Esme to comprehend the reality of the situation. She touched the side of her face, "I... I'm not... I don't know..." She swallowed hard, "Carlisle?"

Alice returned with a back pack and another duffle bag. "Here," she handed them off to Caleb.

He slowly let his hand down to grab the duffle bag, looking at the object as if it was a foreign object he hadn't seen before.

Carlisle touched his shoulder. "Do as Alice says," he told his son, "You have to go with Nicole and Salvatore."

"But-"

"You have to go."

"But what about Delilah?" he asked, eyes begging to know the answer to the question.

"We'll make sure she's okay," Alice instructed with a hint of urgency in her voice. She looked over his shoulder as her daughter and Salvatore appeared from down the hall. Delilah was just behind them with a look comparable to Esme's. "Delilah... say a temporary goodbye to Caleb. Once the crowd of visiting vampires dies down I'll bring you to him myself."

There was hesitation on both ends, but Delilah hugged Caleb against her and looked like she would never part from him.

"I love you, Caleb," she said, "I love you."

"I love you, too." He pressed his lips against the side of her face and strung kisses down her face toward her jaw line before finding her lips. Typically he would have felt more than a little awkward to display that type of affection in front of his parents but he didn't think about it. He didn't want to let go of Delilah.

"Come on," Alice said, "The three of you have to get out of here. The sooner the better."

"Where should we go, Mom?" Nicole asked.

Alice looked her daughter in the eye. Confidence and hope radiated out of her. "I just spoke with Jacob and Nessy. They'll meet you in Vancouver, Canada." Alice handed her a piece of paper with an address and then hugged her hard. "You'll be just fine."

"You're sure?" Nicole looked back at her mother.

Alice tipped her mouth up in a smile. "You're the most important thing I've ever known, Nicole." She winked, "There's no way I'd chance losing you. You'll be in good hands."

Nicole grinned back for a moment.

"You'll be with Jacob in a few hours." Alice kissed her daughter on the cheek and then refocused on Carlisle and Esme, "That goes for Caleb, too."

They stared back at her with fearful expressions and Esme had subconsciously linked her arm through Caleb's.

Alice looked into Esme's eyes, "Trust me."

Esme nodded back and looked at her son.

"Are you ready?" Alice asked him.

Caleb shrugged and nodded, "I guess."

She hugged him and opened the front door, hugging her daughter and Salvatore once more.

"Thank you Salvatore," Alice said, "Thank you."

He nodded and the three of them took off away from the home, Salvatore's gift masking Caleb's scent the second they left.

Esme stood speechless in the open doorway as she stared out into the yard that stretched outward into the trees. Everything had happened far too quickly and she couldn't take her eyes off the space between the trees where Caleb disappeared through.

Delilah began to sob and Alice put her arms around her. "You'll get to see him soon, Del. I promise."

Alice and Carlisle made eye contact and she got serious for a moment. "We have to sit down so I can tell you the game plan for when the rest of the immortals begin showing up."

"Okay," he said solemnly, following Esme's gaze outwardly for another few seconds.

Alice continued to console Delilah and knew that Esme was feeling the same way internally as Delilah was externally.

Carlisle knew he had to snap out of the daze he was in and finally slipped his hand through Esme's and nodded in the direction Alice was now walking.

"Come on," he said, "We have to hear out our end of the plan."


	47. Intermission - Need Reader Opinion

Sometimes I really wish there was a messenger on here or a chat box for times like this haha. I have two ideas for the next chapter. If people wouldn't mind either commenting or messaging on which they can see as a better option:

1) Caleb, Nicole and Sal go to a secluded place in Canada to meet with Jacob. The mood is more solemn and serious.

2) The three of them meet with Jacob/Nessy and wind up talking about everything on the beach on the Quileute Reservation. The tone is serious with some lighthearted undertones.

I started writing one and then I got the idea for the other and now I can't decide. Help! :)


	48. La Pushe

**Chapter 47**

Familiar territory began to make itself known, and when Caleb recognized the terrain and the wilderness of Washington, he tugged on Jacob's arm.

"Hey, I thought we were going to Canada."

"Change of plans," Jacob said, not breaking his stride despite Caleb's attempt to pull him back.

"But my mom-" Nicole began to chime in, but Jacob pressed on.

"Trust me," he said, glancing over his shoulder.

"You don't think they'll check Forks for us?" Caleb asked.

"Don't worry about that." Jacob's jaw was stern, but Renesme turned and raised her eyebrows with a smirk to offset his harder emotions.

"We've got specific instructions and reasoning," she explained in a tone far more calm and friendly than Jacob's.

Caleb, Nicole and Salvatore didn't argue; they simply followed the remainder of the way until a group of familiar faces came into view along a beach they knew rather well - La Pushe.

"It's okay," Jacob shouted aloud, noting some of his family members were in their animal forms.

Seth and Quil were the only Quileute boys who stood on two legs. On Seth's arm stood another immortal figure; one that Salvatore immediately made eye contact with before looking away almost shamefully.

Luciana stared through the darkness that was highlighted only by a small fire made up of three or four small logs. Neither of them said anything at first, but she quickly stepped forward, releasing Seth's arm for a moment.

No one knew what to expect in the exchange. The brother and sister hadn't ever been formally introduced, and last they'd left off they were on opposing sides of a decade-long battle. Now, things were different.

"Salvatore?" her timid asked.

Salvatore swallowed and looked at his sister but didn't move otherwise.

Luciana tucked a few strands of hair behind her ears that flew into her line of vision from the wind that blew off the ocean.

Everyone stared for a moment, and the real reason they had traveled halfway across the country back to the reservation was forgotten for a moment.

"Sister?" Salvatore asked, already knowing the answer to the question.

Luciana nodded once, a range of emotions plaguing her face. "I wasn't sure what to expect."

"And?" He fidgeted nervously and Nicole inched closer to his side.

Luciana looked at Nicole first and then to Caleb before returning her gaze to Salvatore. "It appears as though you've favored love... over hate." She glanced over her shoulder at Seth for a brief second.

"I've been informed of your past, as well," Salvatore informed her. "So, I can see the paths we've taken are somewhat paralleled." He kept eye contact with his sister while linking his fingers through Nicole's.

Luciana paused before tipping the corner of her mouth up in a smile. "Indeed."

Salvatore let a smile creep onto his face and then snapped out of the temporary daze he found himself in. "I, uh, we..." He huffed and then continued, "There's a bounty out on Caleb. Dad has orchestrated this witch hunt and Alice saw that immortals were going to show at the house we've been living at."

"Caleb hasn't done anything wrong," Nicole added, "All he did was escape from being held captive."

"With the help of Benjamin," Renesme stated, asking for confirmation with her eyes.

"That's right."

"So, are we going to be a hiding ground for the guilty vampires?" Quil asked, half kidding in his tone. He chuckled to himself and then grew serious again. Behind him, one of the wolves barked and let out a low growl, prompting a look from Jacob.

Renesme put a hand on his chest and then looked at her extended family members. She then looked over at Quil, who gave her a suspicious look.

"I was kidding," he claimed.

"I've contacted the Denali coven," Renesme explained.

"They just _love_ us," Seth said, rolling his eyes with a grin.

"Seth..."

He smirked, "You didn't see the dirty looks we were getting at your parents' wedding."

"I think we're _long_ past those days." Renesme sighed and turned to look at Nicole. "They're going to be here soon, too."

"Okay," Nicole said, "Did my mother see this happening?"

She nodded, " I must say she is _very_ good at coming up with foolproof plans on the fly."

Nicole smiled and laughed lightly. She then looked up at the starless sky above them. "Cloudy days and starless nights... it feels good to be back in Washington."

"Home," Caleb said quietly. He exchanged a glance with Renesme. "What if others start to come here? What if they find us?"

"They won't," she assured him.

"Nobody is coming on this reservation without our permission," Jacob stated boldly.

"That's right," Quil confirmed.

"And with Lucy's gift no one will be able to sniff you guys out," Seth reminded them.

"My gift and Salvatore's," she corrected.

He nodded subtly and eyed the sand beneath his sneakers.

"Sit down," Luciana encouraged them, "Relax. You've had a long journey... and a stressful one I'm sure."

"Should we call our parents?" Caleb asked, "Let them know we're here?"

"Already done," Renesme said. "I contacted my parents with the code phrase Alice told us to use."

"What's that?"

She chuckled and looked at Jacob, who finally smiled and rolled his eyes.

They waited, and Renesme laughed another time, cuddling her head against Jacob's chest as she did. "The phrase was, we've reached the dog pound."

"Alice..." Jacob grumbled lowly, but continued to smile. He looked at Renesme from the corner of his eye before the two of them shared a laugh.

"Alice." Caleb breathed out her name.

Nicole couldn't help but smile, picturing her mother's little joke despite the heavy nature of the situation. "Alice..." she echoed the two of them.

Luciana patted the seat next to her by the fire, and Seth sat down. She seemed satisfied when the rest of them followed her lead and sat down around the fire together.

"God, I miss you guys," Renesme said aloud, shaking her head. "I miss my parents... I miss your parents... Emmett, Rosalie... Charlie, Sue..."

"The good old days," Jacob said, kissing her on the cheek before finding a place behind her. He wrapped his arms around her and Renesme sunk into his embrace.

"The days are still good," she said to him.

"Leah and Mason are living with the other shape-shifters now," Jacob said to no one in particular, "You guys are all halfway across the country. Charlie and Sue are..."

"In Maine," Renesme and Seth said at the same time.

"The Washington of New England," he commented.

"Should have gone with Florida," Nicole said with a smile.

"Nah," Seth argued, "They're bred for the cold weather."

Quil smiled and leaned back in his seat.

Caleb looked around the area and listened to the waves for a moment. "We're safe here?" he asked. "At least for the night?"

"You're safe here," Renesme assured him. She looked him in the eye. "Try to relax..." She smiled and decided to joke with him, "And get some sleep."


	49. Lie Detector

**Chapter 48**

Carlisle sat alone in the living room and caught himself tapping his hand nervously against the arm of the chair. Since Caleb had left he had been unable to keep himself from having nervous ticks from the anxious thoughts that plagued his mind.

He kept tabs on Esme, but decided after checking in with her so many times that he needed to give it a rest and provide her with the opportunity to have at least a fraction of a peace of mind.

Alice whipped to the front foyer which was remotely visible from where Carlisle sat. He sprung up as she glanced over her shoulder at him. A moment later the doorbell rang.

Esme was quickly with the two of them at the door. When Alice flung it open they were greeted by a familiar threesome and Carlisle couldn't hide the disappointment in his voice.

Siobhan," he said in a low voice. Carlisle's eyes then shifted to meet her mate's, "Liam."

Esme wrapped her arm through Carlisle's and stepped forward. "It's nice to see you. What brings you out here?" The angst in her voice was difficult to mask.

"We're here to warn you," Siobhan spoke. Pain lingered in her eyes and she glanced at Maggie for a moment.

"What about?" Carlisle asked.

"The Volturi," Liam explained, "They're sending people your way, Carlisle."

"Aro wants Caleb," Siobhan explained, "Your son."

"He took a deep breath and swallowed hard, again feeling a wave of guilt for thinking the worse of his friends.

"Alice smirked and looked at him. "I'm sorry, I should have explained this, but I wasn't totally sure what was going to happen once they got here." She closed her eyes for a moment and then stared over Maggie's shoulder prompting the young girl to look back.

"Siobhan and Liam followed her gaze but there was no one and it only took a moment for everyone to realize that Alice was envisioning something that wasn't physically with them at that moment.

"Alice..." Esme appeared as if she was trying to read her thoughts.

"Siobhan continued, "I don't want to burden you further, Carlisle, but I know of one who is considering the offer."

"Just one?" Esme asked, glancing back and forth between Siobhan and Alice.

"That we know of," Liam explained. The Irish couple looked to Maggie.

"He attempted to lie," their pint sized family member stated.

"Who did?" Carlisle asked.

Alice's eyes snapped back to reality and she spoke his name at the same time as Maggie. "Amun."

"He's coming," Alice added, "Soon."

"He'll attempt to lie again," Maggie assured them.

"He's looking for a pardon of Benjamin," Carlisle assumed.

"Nobody knows where Benjamin is," Liam told them, "Aro is asking for his head, too."

"Amun has foolishly taken the bait," Siobhan added, "He truly believes that Aro will spare Benjamin if he brings Caleb to Volterra."

"I tried to tell Amun that Aro wasn't being truthful, but he didn't want to hear it," Maggie told them, shaking her head.

"Alice looked past the Irish coven again and this time when everyone followed her stare there was something to stare at.

"Amun and Kebi hiked slowly toward the house, side by side. Their hands were linked and even from the great distance it was easy to read the mixed emotions that covered their faces.

Kebi looked the most distressed, and the pouty nature of her face and solemn eyes showed the remorse she already felt for contributing to whatever her mate had in mind. Amun, however, looked far more determined that he did melancholy. He was determined to keep his own coven in tact and held Benjamin's safety over almost all others.

Their group waited and stared down the yard until the couple closed in on where they stood.

"Please come in," Carlisle said, nodding to Siobhan first and then greeting the Egyptian pair as they approached the front steps.

"Hello, Kebi," Esme greeted in a friendly tone, hoping to draw a reaction from their old friends.

Kebi barely managed a small smile and it appeared as if she could quite literally get sick if it were possible for immortals to do so. "Hello," was her quiet response.

"Amun," Carlisle looked at his old friend in the eye, "You're always welcome in our home, but what brings you to these parts?"

"We're concerned about Benjamin... and Tia," he replied.

"As are we. Do you have any idea where he might be?"

"No." Amun shook his head and his jawline tensed. "I fear he's trying to martyr himself. He saved your boy and now Aro wants him dead."

"Carlisle decided to try drawing a response from his old friend. "Unless..."

"Amun's red eyes rose to meet Carlisle's and didn't initially speak, though the look on face made it obvious that he understood that Carlisle knew at least facet of the truth.

The two of them stood a step outside the doorway staring at one another. Carlisle's features were inquisitive and softer while Amun's eyes appeared to be burning.

Maggie approached where the two of them stood, fluttering like a child to a playground. She then looked up at Amun and stung him with a question that all of them knew Maggie would be able to read as a blatant lie or a truth.

"Why have you come to see the Cullens?" she asked in a simple, innocent tone.

Amun turned his head downward and couldn't help but get sucked in to Maggie's big stare.

The rest of them had crowded by the doorway now, including other members of the Cullen family who hadn't previously made their presence known.

"Are you here to see where Caleb is?" Maggie followed when he didn't immediately respond.

Amun scanned the familiar faces that had gathered to his and Carlisle's standoff; one that Maggie had so boldly included herself in.

"Where is he?" he finally asked.

"Emmett folded his arms in front of his chest and stepped forward so he was in between Esme and Alice. "Hunting."

"So, he's okay then?" Kebi asked.

"Excuse me," Maggie continued to stare innocently up at Amun, "You didn't answer my questions."

"I've come to see the Cullens," Amun spoke. A vein in his forehead emerged for a brief second and his jaw clenched another time.

"Right, I got that part; but why are you here?"

Why are _you_ here?"

"I asked you first."

"A smirk formed on Emmett's face but he didn't say anything to break the tension that would have probably appeared playful to an outsider. The serious nature of the question, however, put Amun's character on the line and he appeared like a threatened tiger that had been backed into a corner.

"Aro claimed he would pardon Benjamin's life if we brought Caleb to him," Kebi said, bursting into the conversation.

"Kebi!" Amun glared at his wife and he took an angry step forward, prompting Carlisle to step in his way.

"Amun..." Carlisle shook his head, "We can help you protect Benjamin."

"We've put our lives at risk helping your family, Carlisle," Amun hissed, "Too many times."

"We're very grateful... all of us... but no one told or asked Benjamin to go to Volterra. He acted on his own and did what he thought was right."

He has been acting foolish since we met with the Volturi in Washington over the hybrid child. Deep down I knew things would come full circle. I knew the Volturi were not done on that day."

Carlisle attempted to reason with him again. "Do you know where Benjamin is?"

"Amun stared him down. "Where is your son, Carlisle?"

Emmett stepped forward again and Kebi looked at his fierce stare and massive body with fear.

"Amun..." her voice pleaded as she spoke his name. "We need to be on the same side."

"Look where that's gotten us," he scoffed, "Half of this coven has a death sentence." He sniffed in air, getting a wave of Caleb's scent before ducking back out into the yard.

In the distance, a figure ran towards the woods, clad in all black from head to toe.

Amun glanced back at Carlisle for a moment before taking off toward the tree line.


	50. Tag Team

**Hey all, I reformatted the last chapter. No idea what went wrong with that but I used a different web browser so I'm thinking that was the culprit! There may still be a random semi-colon or something but I did my best to get rid of all that junk! :)**

**Chapter 49**

Amun glanced over his shoulder and only saw various figures standing in the Cullens' front yard watching him. While he expected them to follow his pursuit, he didn't slow down and honed in on the figure that was barely visible in the distance.

He reached the woods line and began weaving in and out of trees in an attempt to catch the man who he assumed was Caleb Cullen.

A part of him wanted to shout out to the boy, but he knew it was useless.

From somewhere behind him he heard the familiar whisk of snapping twigs and tree limbs, and the rush of wind around where a determined follower finally came within an earshot.

Amun didn't care, attempting to devout all of his attention to the person out front. He wanted to catch him; he _needed_ to - for the sake of his own family.

A breeze washed over him and without even having to think, Amun knew there was a body of water of some sorts in the immediate distance.

Standing by a ledge, the figure in black didn't jump. His feet skidded to a halt and he almost appeared wobbly as he attempted to restrain his body from going over the side and down a short cliff into an over-sized body of water.

Amun didn't know why he stopped, but a wave of adrenaline pierced his body and he barreled forward, lunging for the man in black before bringing him successfully to the ground. When he saw the man's face from beneath a black, winter hat everything changed.

Jasper smirked at the man who held him pinned to the ground with clenched fists against the collar of his black jacket. A moment later, the trailing Cullen family member lurched onto Amun's back and held his hands firmly behind his back the way a police officer would a criminal.

"Thanks, Em." Jasper dusted himself off and stood up, now staring directly at Amun.

"It doesn't matter," Amun spoke quietly, shaking his head. He didn't try to hide or fight the fact that he was completely at their mercy. "If not me then someone will do this."

Jasper stared at him, "Like who?"

He laughed for a moment and stared outward across the water at the starry sky. "Anybody." Amun's face grew solemn. "At least I'm righteous in why."

"Righteous? Taking another's life to save yourself is righteous now?" Jasper raised his eyebrows.

"To save _my_ family member."

"You won't be saving anybody," Emmett chimed in from behind. "Aro isn't going to spare your life, or Benjamin's or anybody else's."

"The truth is," Jasper went on, "Is that he is going to _kill_ Benjamin... and Tia if he needs to." He paused, "Benjamin destroyed their home by his own hand. Do you honestly think he'll get a pardon for that?"

"Aro killed his own sister," Emmett added, "Edward has seen it briefly in his thoughts."

"Benjamin is next unless you do something," Jasper concluded coldly.

"I _am _doing something," Amun argued.

"You're taking steps backwards. This is exactly what Aro wants - your contribution."

"And you'll get nothing in return," Emmett added.

"You're wrong."

"Are we?" Jasper asked, "My wife can see the future, Amun. It's a tool that has helped us in the past and will surely help us in the future. As for the present, she can Benjamin's fate... and Tia's, and Kebi's," he paused, "And yours."

Amun glared across the way at Jasper, "Why should I believe you? You're doing what you can to save Caleb as I am to save Benjamin. You could make up anything and tell me it was one of Alice's visions."

Jasper took a few steps in Amun's direction so they were nearly nose to nose. "Why should you believe us?" he asked.

Amun stood his ground and stared directly into Jasper's eyes. "Yes. Why?"

"Because we could kill you right now," Jasper explained, speaking firmly again. "We could kill you... we could kill Kebi-"

"Carlisle wouldn't condone you taking our lives."

Jasper lowered his voice to a tone just above a whisper, "I don't work for Carlisle. I live with him, I respect him but I have killed others for a lot less... I've killed others for nothing actually."

For the first time Amun's face glowed with fear and his eyes no longer were firm and proud; they were scared.

"My conscious would be clear in ending your life, Amun," Jasper continued, "As I sense you're a real threat to our family." He sensed he had won the battle of guts with the man from the look on his face, "So to come back to your original question - you should believe us because we could easily end your life here tonight and eliminate you and Kebi as threats against us... but we're not going to do that because there are other alternatives... based on Alice's visions of the future."

Emmett tightened his grip on Amun's arms, "The choice is yours. Are you going to stand with us and help us help Caleb _and_ Benjamin?" His eyes rose to Jasper's, who finished his sentence.

"Or are you going to cost the lives of every single member of your coven?"


	51. Unseen Visitor

**Chapter 50**

Esme sat with Kebi next to a fire in the fireplace in Cullens' home. When Amun arrived safely back in between Jasper and Emmett, a sigh of relief left her mouth. Without even thinking, she rose from her seated position and rushed to hug him.

Amun stood stiff and statue-like, not returning the gesture for several seconds before finally slipping one of his arms loosely around her. He stared at Carlisle, who now joined Esme.

The two pairs stared at each other, and Jasper and Emmett stood with their arms folded on either side of the Egyptian couple.

"You don't have to stand with us," Carlisle told Amun, "But you'd be foolish to think that all will be forgiven if you harm Caleb, or bring him to the Volturi."

"What choice do I have?" he grumbled, "I'm damned if I do, damned if I don't."

"We'll help Benjamin," Jasper told him.

"Look at all the good your help has done for him." He shook his head, "He's wanted... I don't know why I even care anymore. The boy has a mind of his own and a stupid one at that."

"He was doing what he felt was right," Carlisle reminded him.

"Impulsive, immature way of thinking."

Kebi touched his arm, "We cannot lose our family."

"Well then we should be keeping better company," Amun huffed, "I wished we had just kept to ourselves in Egypt. We were fine there... living peacefully and under the radar."

"Things change," Emmett said, "Life without conflict is nonexistent."

"Not for us," he argued, "Not before."

"Well life isn't like it was before," Kebi reminded him, "And nothing is going to change that fact. We can't live in the past. It's not that simple."

"It could have been-"

"But it's _not_," she said firmly, and then paused. "Look, we... we have to fight this. We can't just turn our backs on the good people in this and rely on Aro and his coven. Amun, you know this; you know he will lead you down a terrible road in the end. Please don't let denial cost us our lives, or the lives of Benjamin and Tia."

"They'll be on the run forever," Amun said, "Until they're caught and they'll die... instantly."

"Unless we stop them," Emmett said.

"Others will come here. I'm sure of it. They'll take the odds like we did."

"Maybe," Carlisle said with a nod. Before he could continue, the doorbell rang. It was a sound that was becoming much less routine and far more menacing because no one know who would be at that door and what their intentions would be.

"Alice?" Jasper said aloud, only to be greeted by his fleet-footed wife in less than a second.

"I don't know," she said quietly, shaking her head before staring at Carlisle. "I was only expecting Amun and Kebi." She pressed her eyebrows together and thought for a moment as Carlisle made his way to the door.

"It's Cassandra!" Edward called down, "And... I can't remember the kid's name."

"What kid?" Esme asked, rounding to where he and Bella made their way down the stairs.

"The kid from the wolf pack in Montana."

When the front door opened, Cassandra stood at the collection of her family members and smiled wide, "It's Shane," she informed them, "His name is Shane."

"Hey," the young, shaggy-haired said with a shy, closed-mouth smile.

"Cassandra!" Esme rushed through everyone and threw her arms around her granddaughter, "Oh my gosh... you're here!" She hugged her harder, making Cassandra laugh and wince at the same time. When Esme pulled back, she put both hands on the side's of Cassandra's face.

"I miss you guys, too," she told them, "And sorry I never visit." She cleared her throat and glanced over her shoulder at Shane as if to accuse him.

"Hey, it's not my fault." He put his hands up defensively making Esme smile again.

"Come inside," Esme told them, "Please."

The pair entered and Cassandra looked around the group. "We had someone lurking around the area near us," she explained, eyeing Amun and Kebi for a brief second.

"Who?" Carlisle asked.

"Caius," Edward answered before Cassandra could.

"He's right," she explained, "Yes, Caius."

"What did they want?" Esme asked.

"I wasn't sure at first," Cassandra admitted, "But then I talked with Dad and he told me about Caleb."

"I'm surprised Caius went out there alone," Carlisle commented aloud to no one in particular.

"He wasn't."

Edward studied her for a moment, and Cassandra couldn't help but smirk as she knew exactly what he was doing.

"I'm totally not used to having you around, Edward," she said to him, smiling a little bigger. Her eyes scanned the group, and while both sides wanted to enjoy each other's company, there were other matters to tend to.

"I miss you, too Cass," he said back with a grin, and then looked to Carlisle, "The kids."

"What kids?" Carlisle asked him.

"The ones from around here. They're with Caius."

"They're with Caius," Alice echoed a confirmation and pressed her lips together in a tight line.

"They'll go to the Quileute Reservation next," Carlisle suspected.

"Not a problem there," Cassandra assured him calmly. "Shane's entire pack made the journey to Washington. All of them and the Quileutes and some sparing vampires are over there as we speak. They're protecting Caleb."

"I can't stay down the hall anymore," Delilah busted into the front foyer, "Is he okay?"

"He's okay," she confirmed with a nod, "And there is a ton of protection, not to mention Lucy's ability to block his scent."

"And Salvatore's," Alice added. She swallowed hard and her thoughts tapered off for a minute or two. "Aro is leaving Italy, as well. He wasn't originally planning on it, but things apparently aren't moving as quickly as he'd like. He's suspected that we would be tipped off about the bounty on Caleb, and that's why he sent Caius to check other locations."

"So others aren't coming here then?" Emmett asked.

"A few others will come," Alice explained, "But Aro is heading to Forks himself."

"Right where Caleb just went," Esme said shaking her head.

"It's not necessarily a bad thing," Alice told her. She looked back to Cassandra, "Two wolf packs, a handful of vampires."

"And a partridge in a pear tree," Cassandra finished, drawing a laugh from Emmett. She regained seriousness, "I came here to tell you in person that maybe we should all go and then maybe we can end this thing for good... all of us."

"End it how?" Carlisle asked.

Alice kept looking back and forth between Cassandra and Edward, all of which seemed to have different pieces of a puzzle that was slowly being put together. The three of them all went to speak at the same time, but stopped before Alice took the lead.

"We ambush Aro and Caius while they're on their own," she told them.

"Don't they have a few others with them?" Delilah asked.

"No more than a handful."

"And the kids that are with Caius are definitely immature and have no concept of this life," Emmett said, "We could kill them easily."

"And the members of the guard Aro is bringing have no power... only the intimidation factor from their significant size. It would hardly be a problem." She looked at Carlisle for a moment and then back to Cassandra, "Is that what you were thinking?"

Cassandra looked at her with confidence. "What better chance will we have?"


	52. Home For Christmas

**Chapter 51**

"Mom, where are we going?" Marshall looked up at Esme as she packed bags upon bags with their belongings in them.

"We're going to visit some... friends," Esme explained. She handed him a set of toy wrestlers that Emmett had given him as a gift awhile back.

He accepted the toys and kept himself busy for a few minutes.

Carlisle rounded into the room. "No one knows where you and Bella will be staying," he explained and attempted to be extra positive. "It'll be nice to see Charlie and Sue again."

Esme looked at him and then placed a hand on the side of his face and kissed his cheek, leaving her lips there for an extra second. "Please be safe."

"We'll have them outnumbered."

"What's out numbers?" Marshall asked, perking up an eyebrow as he crashed the fist of one wrestler into another. When Carlisle and Esme turned to him he piggybacked onto the question. "Are they like odd numbers?"

Carlisle would have typically used the question as a means for an educational moment, but he answered with a simple, "Yes."

"Is Alex coming with us?"

A bag came flying into the room making everyone jump.

"Yup!" Alex replied, smiling as she scooped up her youngest brother. "Mike and I are coming."

"Why aren't you?" Marshall pointed at Carlisle.

"I just have to go see Caleb," he explained. "You're going to visit some friends that Mommy hasn't seen in awhile." Carlisle kissed his forehead.

"Bella and Charlie are coming too," Esme told her son.

"Are we gonna run there?"

"No way," Alex said, teasing him, "You'd get there last."

"No," Marshall argued, giving her a look. "I run faster than Emmett now, ya know."

"You do?"

He nodded, "So beating you would be easy."

"I'm faster than Emmett," Alex whispered to him.

Marshall continued to shake his head in protest before she smothered his face with kisses until he fought her off.

"Do you have everything packed?" Carlisle asked, looking at Esme.

"Just about." She sighed.

"It'll be alright."

"Alex can't see the reservation, or the wolves," Esme reminded him.

"Nicole." Carlisle winked and Esme smiled for a moment before letting it fade.

"Tanya and her family will be there," Carlisle told her, "So there's some extra backup." He glanced over at Marshall, who was hanging onto every word. "Did you know that you'll be right near the WWE's headquarters?"

Marshall looked at the wrestler in his hands again, and then back up to his father. "No. What's that mean?"

Carlisle laughed and Marshall reached his hands out, still gripping the action figures, and Alex handed him over. "In Connecticut... that's where they started professional wrestling. They have a big building there where all the wrestlers go."

His eyes lit up. "Really?"

He nodded, "Yeah."

"Can we go there?" Marshall looked at the Hulk Hogan doll in his hand, one that Emmett glorified. "Is _he_ there? Can we see him?"

Carlisle laughed, "I'll make a deal with you... if you're good for your mom and your sister in Maine, I'll take you there as a Christmas gift."

Marshall smiled slowly, and then snickered. "Isn't Maine near Connecticut?"

He nodded, "Kind of."

"So, why can't Mom take me there now?" He looked over his shoulder at Esme.

"You are going to visit with Charlie's grandfather," Carlisle told him, "His name is Charlie, too. So..." He smirked, "If you're good, then we'll go around Christmas. Okay?"

Marshall hesitated and tapped the Hulk Hogan figure on Carlisle's shoulder, but then nodded in agreement, "Okay."

Carlisle kissed him on the cheek again, and then set him down on the ground.

Esme half-smiled and looked around at the bags she'd packed. "I guess this is it," she told him.

He sighed, "I'll call you when we arrive."

"Okay."

Carlisle leaned in and gave Esme a hug, and then a kiss that made Marshall scrunch his nose. "Let's go pack the car."

Alex reached for Marshall's arms and hoisted him up onto her shoulders. "Come on you." She reached down for the bag she'd thrown in, greeting Michael in the hallway as he was about to pass by.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Yeah," she breathed the word.

"Why do you talk like that, Michael?" Marshall asked, referring to his English accent.

Michael and Alex both began to laugh and Esme smiled as she glanced over her shoulder from a few steps in front.

"I'm from a different country," Michael said simply, still grinning. "That's why."

Marshall let it go, shrugging off the minor difference in their dialogue.

"Most of the car is packed," Emmett called from downstairs, "So is Bella's."

"Mackenzie is riding with her," Rosalie added.

"I want to go with you guys," Mackenzie said from somewhere else in the house. She quickly appeared at the bottom of the stairs where her parents stood and everyone else was about to join.

"We've talked about this," Rosalie said sympathetically.

"But William is going with you guys."

Emmett crossed the room and threw an arm around her shoulders and Mackenzie immediately clung herself against him.

"All packed," Edward confirmed Emmett's words. He stared across the way as Bella sighed heavily and stood across from him.

"You can stay with them, Edward," Rosalie told him, sensing their unspoken communication.

Bella's eyes widened hopefully, but Edward shook his head. "Carlisle stood up for us with Renesme and he never wanted to fight. I have to go for Caleb's sake." Before Carlisle or Esme could get a word in, Edward continued. "We all better get moving."

"Come on honey." Esme reached for Marshall and carried him out to the car. They threw in the last few bags and Esme slammed the hood while Alex said goodbye to Carlisle.

"Constant communication," she urged, drawing a nod from her father.

"Of course."

Alex hugged him hard.

"Bye Dad." Marshall waved a hand and Carlisle took him into his arms, hugging him tight and kissing his cheek another time before Alex pulled him with her in the back seat.

Esme brushed an eyelash off of Carlisle's face and then kissed him once. "Please be safe... and keep our sons safe."

"We'll be okay," he assured her, "We'll all be together."

"I don't trust Caius."

"There are only a handful of people there," he reminded her, running a hand up and down the top of her arm. "We have two _huge_ wolf packs and all of us." Carlisle half-smiled.

"I know." Esme sighed, "I want Caleb to be safe. You don't think anyone will change their minds out there, do you?" She glanced at Amun out of the corner of her eye who stood side by side with Jasper next to one of the other cars.

"I won't let anything happen to him," Carlisle said with certainty, "None of us will."

"Okay." She sighed and kissed him again.

"Call us when you get to Maine."

Esme nodded and hugged him before heading toward the driver's seat of the Mercedes. One by one the members of their family made their way to one another, hugging and exchanging "I love you's" before they all piled into their respective cars.

Carlisle pulled up his vehicle next to Esme's, and Emmett said in the passenger seat. "Be safe Mama Bear," he said with a grin.

Esme couldn't help a smile, no matter how quick it lasted. "You too, Emmett."

Carlisle made eye contact with her for a moment, "We'll be home for Christmas."

For whatever reason his words made her heart ache; probably because there was a possibility that that wouldn't be the case. She waved and then the two sets of cars pulled out of the driveway, heading in opposite directions across the country.


	53. Hoping For Peace

The number of wolf warriors on the reservation would have been quite intimidating to just about anyone - The Volturi included. They prepared themselves for a fight they hoped would not ensue, and though Alice had been in contact with them regarding the low number of vampires hailing from Italy, they still were preparing as if an army would soon arrive to their home.

Luciana sat beside her brother, Nicole and Caleb. Seth had been dropping in and out periodically in between his meetings and rough housing with other members of the tribe. Upon his latest return, he finally slunk in next to her on the couch.

"What's up?" he asked, attempting to cheer her up from the melancholy look that was outwardly displayed on her face.

Luciana looked at him, "I have a feeling that... that my father is going to die."

Seth's eyebrows lifted, as he was completely taken off-guard by her answer. He made eye contact with Caleb first and then the others.

A silence fell over them, and it appeared as though Salvatore was slowly letting that reality sink in.

"He could, couldn't he?" he asked aloud.

Caleb and Nicole exchanged a glance, neither of them really taking that part into consideration.

"He's... he's trying to kill Caleb," Nicole reminded them.

"And it may not come down to anything at all," Seth said, "We just want to protect Caleb. If they don't try to hurt him or take him then they'll be on their way."

Luciana shook her head and smiled cynically, "He's not coming all the way from Italy for a quick hello-goodbye."

"Caius is already out this way," Salvatore added. He looked at Nicole, "That's what your mom called and told us."

Luciana flipped through her phone, checking out the weather forecast and scrolling through a news feed that was nothing more than a blur of words on the page.

Seth kissed her on the cheek. "I'll make sure nothing bad happens," he told her.

"You can't make that promise, Seth. Not if he's here looking for trouble."

He didn't argue that fact, but kissed her once more on the cheek and slipped his arm around her shoulders as she slunk back into the couch with a sigh.

Luciana's eye looked mindlessly over her phone's screen, and then for a moment the absent nature of her expression changed and she began to lip-read one of the articles.

"What?" Nicole asked, picking up on her slight change in posture first.

Luciana's eyebrows pressed together as she thought for a moment, and let a hand drop to the side of her face.

"What is it?" Seth asked next. He arched his neck to try reading what she had on the screen.

"Tonight is a lunar eclipse," she said aloud.

Everyone exchanged glances as they didn't know where Luciana was going with her thought. Before anyone could ask, she stood up and rushed toward the window that overlooked the front yard and stared up at the sky.

Everyone followed, now intrigued and eager to know what was going on.

Luciana looked down at her phone again and specifically searched for the time of the eclipse.

"Lucy..." Seth began, but tried to keep up by looking over her shoulder.

"I might have a solution to everything," she said, shaking her head and tucking some loose strands of hair behind her ear. "I hope anyway..."

"You're going to wish for something," Nicole said, matter-of-factly.

Luciana looked at her and nodded, and then refocused on the bright, yellow moon. "The eclipse isn't going to be in full effect until 9:45 tonight."

Everyone turned simultaneously toward a large clock that hung on the wall over a fireplace.

"An hour from now," Seth concluded.

"There may be a peaceful resolution to all of this." Luciana looked at him and sighed. "I hope this works."

...

"We've got to corner Caius and take him out," Jasper told Emmett from the backseat of the over-sized Jeep.

"Agreed," his buff counterpart said back.

"How many people is Aro bringing Alice?" Rosalie asked.

"Jane." She made a face, "And two members of the guard. They don't even know if they're going to find anything."

"Jane..." The name dripped from Jasper's mouth in detest.

Alice put her hand over his.

"I'll give her a taste of her own medicine," William said from the way back with Maddy.

"That's my boy," Emmett encouraged.

Rosalie glanced over at him from the passenger seat, not overly enthused with the idea of their son going toe to toe with one of the more ruthless members of the Volturi.

"Should've had Caleb just stay with us," Rosalie said, changing the subject. "The big players are headed to where he is anyway."

"But Mr. and Mrs. Egypt may have gotten their hands on him if he stayed," Emmett reminded her.

"Big threat there," Jasper said drying, making eye contact with Emmett in the rear view mirror as he smirked.

Emmett smiled back and agreed with a nod, "True."

"I feel so bad for Esme and Bella having to be all the way across the country," Alice added.

"They'll be safe," Jasper assured her.

Alice nodded. "What a way to kick off the Christmas season..."

"This could be over real quick," Emmett told them. "We can take out those newborn kids... and I doubt they'll be able to hurt Caleb if they were friends with him."

"There are good weapons on both sides," Alice reminded him.

"Yeah, but we have the weapons and the numbers."

She nodded, "Right."

"The newborn kids are going to pee their pants when the see the wolves," William said with a laugh. "Especially two big ol' packs of 'em." He used his foot to nudge Maddy. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Where's Edward when ya need him?" he teased.

Maddy smiled but shook her head.

"What?" he urged.

Maddy shrugged again. "I'm just worried about my parents."

"They'll be fine."

"I know," she huffed.

William re-positioned himself so he could put an arm around her. He then proceeded to kiss her on the cheek. "We'll be fine. We always are."

Maddy looked at him with hopeless, and didn't really know if her question had an answer. "Will there ever be peace between all of us?"

He didn't reply, but kissed her on the cheek again. The two of them stared out the window at the dark world around them as their pair of cars traveled the remainder of the way to Washington.


	54. United By the Fire

**Chapter 53**

"Dad!" Renesme could hardly contain her excitement as Edward exited the passenger side door of the car.

Edward couldn't withstand a smile that progressively grew bigger as his daughter ran to approach him. He hugged her hard for a long time and then finally pulled away. "Mom wishes she could have come."

"I know." Renesme nodded.

"I'd feel a lot better if you joined her in Maine with Charlie... and Charlie, but-"

"But I'm staying," she finished.

Edward tipped his mouth up in a half-smile and then let it fade.

"I said the same thing," Jacob stated, casually walking up to greet Edward with his hands in his pockets.

"Always nice to see you, Jacob."

Jacob smirked and then extended a hand. "The feeling is... mutual."

Renesme rolled their eyes at their exaggerated awkward interaction. "Come on," she said, waving Edward over, "You guys should get settled." She then turned her attention to Carlisle and gave him a hug. "I miss you all."

Carlisle sighed as they parted. "We miss you too."

"After this maybe you all could... stay." She looked in his eyes until Carlisle couldn't help a grin.

"We can certainly discuss it," he agreed.

Renesme smiled and then proceeded to greet everyone as they piled out of the cars on the reservation. Both she and Jacob eyed the Egyptians with suspicion but didn't make a comment.

"We need to get you all hidden," Sam said, rushing up to the group. "Your scents I mean."

Carlisle nodded, "Of course."

Alice and Nicole already stood side by side with linked arms, looking more like sisters than mother and daughter. "He's being strategic about when to approach the reservation," Alice explained. She then passed off her missing visions to her daughter.

"Right," Nicole went on, "The last I saw him was in Montana, and since he left my mom has seen him being cautious and scheming with the others he's traveling with."

"The newborns don't know who they're looking for," Alice explained, "And I feel as though when they see Caleb, they'll change their minds regarding the possible attack."

Caleb rushed up to the cars before the ladies could finish and didn't say a word to anyone without nearly tackling Delilah.

She sighed as he threw his arms around her and she ripped the shoulder of his shirt from the force of her grasp against him. Caleb then proceeded to give her a string of kisses, prompting one of the Quileute boys to whistle.

"Dad," Caleb left Delilah momentarily to hug Carlisle. "Is Mom-"

"She and Bella went with the kids to Maine."

He nodded. "Good."

"I have to tell you something," Nicole whispered to Alice, prompting a few looks in their direction.

"Secrets don't exist in the immortal world," Emmett teased in a loud whisper.

"Thanks for the tip," Nicole whispered back.

He winked and they shared a brief laugh.

"Aro _is_ on his way," Alice said to the group, "Not with many people, but Jane is with him."

"And you sent Bella away?" Jacob asked, raising his eyebrows, "The only one of you with a shield." He glanced at Edward, "Should had Mr. Mom go with Charlie to Maine."

"William can combat Jane's gifts," Alice reminded him.

"We may not even need that," Nicole told them, "Any of it... any gifts."

"Why?" Rosalie asked, stepping forward with her hands on her hips.

She scanned the small crowd of people for Luciana, but quickly realized she wasn't among them. "Come get settled and I'll tell you... or I'll let Lucy share it with you."

"Jacob," Carlisle approached him, "Do you know where Mason and Leah are?"

He nodded, "Mason has been hunting all afternoon and Leah went with him. I'm sure they'll be back soon."

"On the reservation?"

Jacob nodded again. "Yeah."

"They're fine," Nicole assured him, "I've had them in my sights since they left."

Carlisle nodded, unable to hide the disappointment in his features.

"Let's get you guys unpacked," Renesme said to the group, echoing Nicole. "And then we can get the bottom of the potential scenarios that may be waiting for us in the near future."

...

The fire that the Quileute boys set up seemed to tower as high as the houses in the distance.

"Thank you for helping us, Billy," Carlisle said with a nod, "Again."

"Just wish Sue could be with us," he told him, glancing subtly at Kebi as she took a seat with Amun. "These fires aren't the same without her and Harry here."

Mason slid in beside Carlisle, "I miss you guys."

"We miss you, too."

"I wish Mom could have come... and Marshall." He frowned, "I feel like we don't even know each other, really... and we're brothers."

Carlisle put a hand on his back. "We have a lifetime, son; and you have your life here with Leah. This is your home."

Mason nodded, "Yeah. I just wish there was a way to have the best of both worlds like the old days, ya know."

He nodded, "I know."

"Mom's going to come here when all of this is settled."

"Will it ever be?"

Leah chimed in. "We solved our centuries-long issues, the spirit warriors and vampires. Decades ago this wouldn't have been possible."

"She's right," Carlisle said with a nod, "There will be a day when we can finally take a breath and rest."

"When?" Caleb asked from his other side.

He sat back so he could talk to both of his sons. "Some day."

Leah nodded in agreement and rubbed her hand over the top of Mason's. "I have faith."

Seth approached the group and sat down beside Leah. Luciana sat on his opposite side.

"So, what's the deal?" William asked, leaning his elbows onto his knees. He stared across the way at Nicole, and then shifted his eyes to Luciana. "You guys have something to tell us."

"Lucy..." Nicole glanced at her.

"Well," she said, "Tomorrow's a lunar eclipse, I'm not sure if you guys realized that."

When no one acknowledged the fact one way or the other she continued.

"I plan on wishing for something that night that I believe could help put an end to this feud." Luciana sighed, "You all know who my father is, and there is a good chance he is the one who will be bombarded and outnumbered once he arrives here." She looked at Alice, "It's still to be said that he has no idea that both tribes are here, as well as a number of immortals?"

Alice nodded, "He's going to be meeting with Chaos and the few newborns he's traveling with, and Vincent. I only know this because once that happens I can't see anything else... because of Vincent's shield. Nicole has only been able to see bits and pieces of Caius's movements when he breaks away from Vincent, which has only been in small margins."

"That's when it gets fuzzy for me, too," Nicole explained, "I can only see so much, but it appears that the other side to whatever happens appears... positive... I think."

"You think?" Maddy asked. She looked around.

"Your parents should be here within the hour," Nicole said, knowing that was who she was thinking of.

Maddy nodded. "They're okay?"

"They're okay," Nicole confirmed.

"So, what is it that you're going to be wishing for with the lunar eclipse tomorrow?" Carlisle asked, returning his attention to Luciana.

"I'm going to wish for peace between all of us," she explained, "As much as I don't agree with my father, it would be hard for me to just watch him die, and I'm sure my brother has similar conflicting feelings."

Salvatore nodded, but didn't aim to make a spectacle of himself.

"I'm just praying that I get to make the wish in time, and that it works."

"And what if it doesn't?" Rosalie asked, "These things aren't fool proof, we found that out when attempting to have children early on."

Luciana stared back at her through the flames. "Then hopefully my father will bow out gracefully." She sighed.

"That sounds likely," Emmett said, his voice thick with sarcasm.

"Aro won't get into a fight he know he'll lose," Carlisle countered, shaking his head, "He may try to talk his way into or out of something, but he won't set himself up with a suicide mission."

"Can we kill Caius?" he joked back.

"I'm all for that," Jacob joined in with a passing laugh.

"Em..." Rosalie eyed him for a moment.

"Sorry." He raised his eyebrows and let them fall.

"We'll have wolves around the border of the reservation," Seth informed them, "From both tribes. And then a bunch of us at the meeting spot, where ever that ends up taking place."

"So, will we know right away then if Aro has been affected by Lucy's wish?" Rosalie asked.

"We're not wholly sure," Seth told her, "But I'd think so... at least once he starts talking." He turned his head to face Luciana, "Right?"

"I don't know," she admitted, "I've never wished on the moon before."

Carlisle and Rosalie exchanged a glance, and then she looked at Emmett.

"I mean, I think the baby thing was instantaneous," Rosalie told Luciana, "But I suppose it's a little different."

"Yeah."

"So, we don't know if he'll be here coming for confrontation, or ready to talk it rationally," Jasper concluded.

No one answered, but simply accepted his statement as fact.

"And if they don't want a peaceful resolution they'll come back with more power, I'm sure," he went on.

"And that puts us all right at ground zero," Emmett finished. He lifted his eyes to meet his brother's.

Another bout of silence fell over the group, and the fire snapped and popped.

"Let's hope that fate will bring us the result we're hoping for," Carlisle said. He glanced over at Billy who nodded once.

The tribal leader sighed. "That's all we can do."


	55. A Break in the Trees

**Hey I have begun to post chapters of an original story. If anyone is interested please check it out. I'm trying to get this little novel noticed. It's really fun to get feedback on here, but it would mean a lot too if it's my own story. Thanks all and happy holidays.**

** posting/elseysullivan/dark-penchants-450859**

**Chapter 54**

"I wish that tomorrow will bring a peaceful resolution to all of the problems that are associated with my families - the Quileutes, the Cullens and the Volturi - and that all will be forgiven without anyone losing their life." Luciana stared at the moon as she sat alone in the room she shared with Seth in their home on the Quileute reservation. Her eyes scanned each crevice of the crimson surface of the sphere that hung with a picture perfect image in the sky. For the entire night she didn't move; didn't blink; didn't speak another word. She waited until the moon's visibility faded and the gray morning sky took over.

Luciana finally stood up, exited the otherwise-vacant space and prayed that her wish would be granted.

...

Tension; it was a feeling and emotion that had been a constant theme in the worlds of the Cullens and other immortals. It was written all over Amun's clenched jaw and all over Kebi's white knuckles as her fingers clenched her husband's hand.

The waiting game was painful, but the arrival soon came with gently falling flurry of pre-holiday snow.

Carlisle thought of all the innocent families in their homes on the reservation. He was sure they were aware that something was taking place, but not necessarily the magnitude. He heard Christmas carols playing from one of the houses, and had a passing image of Esme decorating the tree and wrapping Marshall's presents. Carlisle closed his eyes for a moment and then immediately tried to push the image from his mind, knowing he needed to fully focus on the issue had hand with his two sons who were about to be right in the thick of a big problem.

Edward had insisted time and time again that Renesme stay back and out of harms way, a plea that Jacob agreed with but was not about to force upon his wife. They had disagreed and combated one another's wishes over and over again until the decision was set. Regretfully, they had agreed to keep Bella in the dark about Renesme's decision to be present when the Volturi members arrived.

Luciana took it upon herself to position herself at the front of the pack, so to greet her father. Seth remained in his human form, standing behind her just a step with soft eyes.

Carlisle stood between his sons and their significant others, not letting his hand drop from Caleb's shoulder. He knew Aro was vengeful over Caleb's escape, and vowed that his so-called Immortal Society was a violation of the vampire laws. If Luciana's wish wasn't granted then Caleb's life would be in danger - whether that day, or any other up the road. The Volturi would return again if they were unsuccessful today.

Madison felt similarly and begged her parents to go into hiding as they arrived. At the same time, she had longed to see them and didn't want to see them go. It was against the nature of Kate, Garrett and the other members of the Denali family to back down from something that affected their family. They knew they were wanted by the Volturi for their actions in Italy - the act of showing themselves in the sunlight with blatant rebellion.

There was a lot at stake, and at risk, for everyone involved in the events that occurred in Italy. Benjamin, too, was at the heart of if and as of that time he was nowhere to be found.

Miles away there were uneven noises in the woods; the sound of twigs snapping, branches sway and animals scurrying in opposite directions. Everyone sensed it; the swift, animalistic movements accompanied by heavy, uneven breathing.

"The newborn kids," Emmett whispered to Jasper, who stood next to him.

Jasper could quite literally feel the uneasy emotions that radiated out of Caleb's former classmates.

The light snow flurries continued, and the whipping wind made it appear as though the storm was far worse than it was.

Luciana stood stiffly with her hands in her pockets as he hair flew wildly around her head.

Darkness had settled in and she feared seeing her father's face because she didn't know what lingered in the darkness for the Volturi members and those standing across the way from them.

An army of wolves stood proudly and attempted not to give away their numbers with a collection of snorts and growls. They stood calmly and waited, practicing the art of patience to the best of their abilities. The art of surprise was on their side.

Caleb's Adam's apple jolted as he swallowed hard and Carlisle's hand tightened against the top of his son's arm.

"It's okay, son," he said quietly. Carlisle glanced over at Edward, hoping he would be able to relay some message he possibly got from Aro's mind.

Edward turned to look at him, but then everyone straitened up at once and stared past where Luciana stood at the point of their core group of immortals.

The tree branches in the distance began to move and a pale, white hand emerged to push one back.

Even in the darkness Aro's features could been seen, as his skin seemed to glow in the darkness. The typical red color had been stripped from his eyes and there was nothing left but two black pits.

Just behind him were the figures of his counterparts. The outlines of their robes were all that could be seen for several seconds until the similar collection of perfectly, polished white skin came into view under the cover of darkness.

Unlike in meetings and even fights in the past, no one said a word.

Aro and the collection of carefully plucked members of his coven stood, now fully aware of what was in store of them. He looked directly at Luciana, giving off the appearance of a great white shark without the ferocity.

The lack of communication was almost eerie, and the cold air felt thicker than a humid day in the middle of summer.

For a moment the world stopped, and no one wanted to breath.

Only one of the two sides had the answer to the question that everyone was thinking - was Luciana's wish granted?


	56. One Condition

**Chapter 55**

"Father..." Luciana called out, "Dad."

Aro stepped forward and let his mouth hang open for a moment with regards to the scene before him. The countless number of wolves fulfilled its purpose in an intimidating fashion. There appeared to be a wall of them behind where the Cullens stood... along with Aro's own children.

Caius, too, scanned the crowd before him in bewilderment, and Vincent eyed his brother across the way. Jane was silent, and stood as emotionless as ever.

"Luciana." The name dripped from Aro's mouth. He was speechless.

"We want to make this right," she said back. "I don't want to have to live in the middle of these separate lives anymore."

Aro stared back at her, and briefly shifted his eyes to glance at Caleb.

"What has Caleb Cullen done to make you want to end his life?" Luciana continued.

"Our home as been destroyed," Vincent said to his sister, though his voice was far more solemn than combative.

"After you kidnapped Caleb for no reason."

"He created an Immortal Society," Aro said softly, "We took him to Italy to speak with him about his indiscretion.

Caleb looked at the newborn immortals whom were among the attack on their high school's campus. They appeared to be terrified, and had wide, red eyes.

"They didn't know they were hunting you," Edward whispered to Caleb. "They don't want anything to do with a fight."

"Can we please all go live our separate lives without any more intervening?" Luciana asked.

"Separate lives, Luciana," Aro stepped forward and completely revealed himself to the group. The rest of his followers stepped out of the shadows. "You leaving Volterra was something that took me years to recover from."

Maggie flinched and those around her stared at her.

"Is he lying?" Rosalie whispered, though she assumed Aro could hear her question.

The young girl shook her head. "No."

"Thank you Maggie," Aro stated calmly, acknowledging the quiet conversation.

"I miss you, too, Dad," Luciana said to him, "Which is why I'm standing here. I didn't want you to get ambushed. I didn't want you to be outnumbered. I want you to live forever... peacefully."

"Where has peace ever gotten anybody?" Vincent asked.

"Brother, you are so young and naïve," Luciana continued, "Ask these people, some who have been alive for centuries. Ask your mother how things used to be. The Volturi carried out necessary punishments in the past, but now they're just searching for ways to intervene."

"There was a blatant rebellion in the courtyard outside of our home," Caius reminded them all, "You were involved." He motioned to Tanya, Kate and Garrett. "And your son Benjamin was directly responsible for destroying the tower in our otherwise subtle abode."

"It's because you're breaking your own rules," Luciana told him, "People will continue to rebel if you aren't the leaders you once were. You may win some of the battles but the numbers are out there and eventually you _will_ fall. I don't want to see you fall... because not only will I lose you, Dad, but our world _will_ turn into to total chaos."

"Go on, my dear." Aro's eyes were widened.

"No one but you can be the leader of our kind," she told her father, "You're strong, smart and a fighter. You know when to pick your battles and you're not afraid to lay down the consequences. That's something that most of don't have. We don't have that type of strength. Ruling that way will keep the world balanced; but when you wrongfully accuse and look to disrupt any 'threats' you think are out there, like the Cullens, people lose respect for the law, because then the law has been corrupted."

Caius glanced at Aro out of the corner of his eye, but didn't speak.

"So, like I've said," Luciana went on, "I want to see you rule. I want to see you live... forever. But that won't happen if you aren't a good leader. Three of your best men are gone because you haven't picked your battles wisely - Felix, Demitri and Alec." She glanced at Jane, who's eyes widened just slightly, but otherwise she didn't move. "Please don't let this be the demise of you. The Cullens are no threat, and neither are the Quileutes. We do have the numbers here but no one wants to kill you... we want to follow you, and play by the rules. And sure if you come back with an army of vampires people will die on this side... but people will continue to die on yours until they finally cut the head off the animal - you."

Aro stared blankly at his daughter for a minute, and then finally tipped up the corner of his mouth in a smirk. "My dear, we could certainly use your intelligence back in Italy."

"Our home is still ruined, father," Vincent reminded him, "We need to hunt down Benjamin and kill him."

"No," Amun stepped forward, "No, I will give myself up to save his life."

"Your home is being rebuilt as we speak," Luciana told them, "By Benjamin..." she glanced over her shoulder at Carlisle, "And Esme."

Carlisle felt adrenaline spread through his body and both of his sons looked at him.

"Dad?" Caleb asked, looking for confirmation.

"Carlisle?" Aro stepped forward and stared at his old friend, "Is it true that your bride is mending my castle in Italy?"

Everyone's eyes shifted back and forth between the two men, and members of the Cullen family whispered to each other, longing for answers themselves.

"It's true," Alice spoke, knowing Carlisle wouldn't be able to give Aro the response he was looking for.

Carlisle's head snapped in Alice's direction. "What?"

"I'm sorry," she whispered, and then refocused on Aro, "Esme and I planned this ourselves, and then we got Benjamin involved when he showed up at our home in Minnesota."

"What?" Amun approached Alice, "Benjamin was at your house?"

"Amun, let Alice speak, "Aro demanded, "Please, go on."

"Esme agreed to help rebuild your house, along with Benjamin. They're in Italy now."

Carlisle felt sick to his stomach and felt like he could collapse onto the ground. The thought of Esme being unprotected in Italy made his body feel weak.

"Senna and Zufrina are with them," Alice went on. "Your house will be a better version of its old self when you arrive home."

"And I suppose all should be forgiven then?" Caius asked, hardening his jaw.

"Let this be a step into a better future," Luciana said aloud. "We _can_ live peacefully if we try."

"Carlisle, I'm sorry," Alice whispered, "I knew this would work, but Esme knew you wouldn't allow her to go out there without you."

Carlisle didn't speak; he couldn't. He trusted Alice, and even moreso Esme, but he couldn't comprehend anything at that moment.

"Bella and Alex are still in Maine," she went on, "And Michael went with Esme as extra protection... but she won't need it."

"Restoring homes is one of Esme's most polished skills," Alice said.

"Yes..." Aro stated, "I've seen this briefly in Carlisle's thoughts. "Carlisle, it appears as though you, sir, have seen a ghost."

Carlisle cleared his throat and went to speak but he couldn't. His hand tightened around his son's shoulder and Masen tried to assure him things were alright.

"What's it going to be, father?" Luciana asked, "Can we create a clean slate and move forward?"

Aro left the question hanging in a dramatic pause. No one said a word and the lingering Christmas music hummed in the background from somewhere on the reservation.

He finally looked around at the group, and then refocused on Luciana. "I'll agree to it... under one condition."


	57. Sentencing

**Chapter 56**

Everyone stared straight ahead, unmoving, as they awaited the verdict that Aro was about to lay out. Although he was severely outnumbered, he appeared to be as confident as ever. Edward was the only one who could see clearly that he knew Luciana was right. He had come to the realization that the Cullens wanted no part in taking over the immortal world, or 'one-upping' the Volturi, so to speak. Aro was smart enough to recognize that things could quickly reverse back to normal and the manhunts and chases could come to a firm halt. Even for someone as power hungry and motivated as Aro, a time of rest was, indeed, past due.

"There are those who have blatantly disrespected the laws we have set," the Volturi leader spoke, "Something must be done."

"But-" Luciana began, but her father held up a hand.

"Allow me to finish, dear," Aro spoke calmly and quietly. "In the human world you are all so fond of there are rules. Some people get the death penalty for the crimes they commit; some serve ten years in a federal prison; others get a slap on the wrist, or a night or two behind bars."

Everyone waited for him to continue.

"My conditions are that those who committed crimes shall pay for them," he went on, "They shall serve the Volturi for a time determined by our members of leadership. They will clean our mansion, act as part of the guard and do whatever big or small tasks I ask of them."

"No one dies?" Luciana asked.

Aro glanced at Caius, and then to Maggie as he spoke, knowing the young girl would be able to immediately relay his intentions to the rest of the group. "No one dies."

All eyes fell on Maggie, and she looked at Amun and Kebi as she spoke. "He's be honest."

"There will be no death sentence for Benjamin?" Amun asked.

Caius appeared he had to be restrained from shouting out, but he remained quiet at Aro's side.

"Benjamin will not perish by the hand of the Volturi," Aro spoke, "But I assure you he will be of great use to me over the next decade or so." He put a finger over his mouth, "I can't believe I hadn't thought of using people like this sooner. Yes, he will be of great use to me."

"A Decade..." Kebi's voice drifted and she put a hand on the side of her face.

"A millisecond's time in our world, Kebi," Aro stated, "Would you not agree?"

The Egyptian pair looked as if they were a combination of relieved and shaken up.

"As long as he will come back to us unharmed," Amun stated. Inside he wanted to demand they kill Aro and Caius and the rest of them, but he didn't want to risk mass chaos, particularly when Benjamin was in Volterra as they spoke.

"I could always relay a message to our coven in Italy now and have him beheaded for his actions."

"No!" Carlisle spoke adamantly. He envisioned Esme on the inside of the tower lairing bricks, or fixing up another type of structure. She couldn't be there if all Hell broke loose in Italy.

"Carlisle, why is it that you had no idea of Alice's claims regarding Esme?" Aro asked, staring in his direction. "I believe I should check on the facts to make sure there is actually repair being done at our residence."

Alice stepped forward and waltzed up to Aro without a hitch in her step. Jasper trailed a few steps behind and Alice extended her hand. "Esme and I kept this from Carlisle because we knew he wouldn't allow our plan to take place. Have a look."

Aro couldn't contain a smirk, and reached for Alice's hand. In an instant he saw it all - the secret conversations, the plan they'd created together and the pain it caused Esme to lie to her husband.

"Well it appears someone is going to have a lot of explaining to do when you and your bride reconvene at a later date," Aro said with a laugh, "Ah, the guilt I have already seen in Esme's thoughts from a vision that Alice has had."

Carlisle's postured remained tense but the fact that Aro was confirmed that he would see Esme at a later date eased his mind, if only in a small margin.

"She won't have to explain anything," he said quietly, not caring the least of what Aro thought.

Jane and Caius stared at Aro like two dogs waiting a command from their master.

"Garrett, Kate, Tanya," Aro spoke, "You'll have to come with us back to Italy so we can determine your sentencing."

Kate glanced over at her daughter, who shook her head. Maddy's eyes grew glossy and she reached for her mother's arm.

"No," she whispered.

Kate raised her eyes to meet Alice's. "We'll be fine," she said with confidence, though her stare asked Alice the question.

"You will be," Alice said with a nod.

"Caleb, Delilah..." Aro spoke, "Let this be a lesson to you. The Immortal Society you formed will do nothing but harm for you in the future. Consider it dead and gone, like your friends will be to their parents. Do not go back to Minnesota. Do not go back to the school. You're done there and banned from the area. Is that understood?"

Caleb looked at Carlisle, before answering with a quiet, "Yes," one that Delilah echoed.

"What happened to these youths will remain a mystery," Aro continued, "Their parents will grieve over their lost loved ones, though the notes we've left for someone to find will insist that the teens were runaways. If they attempt to contact anyone from Minnesota, including their parents, they will be swiftly executed." He turned to look at the teens as he spoke the last few words of the sentence.

None of them said anything. They just stared fearfully at the man in the black robe before them.

"Garrett, ladies..." Aro extended a hand outward.

"Mom..." Maddy pleaded and hugged her, and then did the same with her father and Tanya.

"We'll be okay, honey," Kate said with a wink. She touched her daughter's face, "Maybe you and William can come live with us in Alaska when we return. What do you say?"

Maddy nodded and William rubbed her back, agreeing with a subtle nod of his own.

"We love you," Garrett told her, "We'll be back soon."

"Yeah..." Maddy threw her arms around him again and tried not to let her emotions show as they walked toward Aro and the others.

Emmett and Rosalie moved in to comfort their son and daughter-in-law. Rosalie ran a hand through Maddy's hair.

"Maybe the five of us can head up to Alaska now," she suggested, taking Mackenzie under her other arm.

"We're homeless," William concluded, "Alaska could be the perfect new spot." He kissed the top of Maddy's head.

"Don't worry Madison," Aro called out lightly, "I'll return your parents and your aunt in one piece."

"That's comforting," she said quietly, leaning against Rosalie.

Aro laughed lightly and then returned his attention to Carlisle. "Your son is free to leave with you, and once my home is built as promised Esme shall return home, as well. Where ever home shall be for you from this point forward."

"I'm coming now with you," he said.

"I don't know if that is the best idea," Aro held up a hand, "I wouldn't want any distractions from her completing her work. As part of the deal I recommended strongly that you maintain your stay here with your children."

"Marshall..." He looked at Alice.

"He's with Bella and Charlie in Maine."

"Maine sounds lovely," Aro gushed, putting his hands together. "Your dear Esme shall meet you in Maine. I'll pass on the message myself."

Carlisle felt his jaw tighten, and he didn't want to stir the pot and put Esme's life in danger. If Alice said things would be fine, then things would be fine.

Once Garrett, Kate and Tanya reached the short string of Volturi members, Aro glanced at Luciana. He passed off the members of the Denali coven to his counterparts and approached his daughter, calling Salvatore to him, as well.

The siblings waited, staring at their father with no knowledge of what he might say.

There was a bout of silence before Aro placed a hand on his son's shoulder and cupped the side of Luciana's face with his other hand.

"It is love that brings a ruler down," he whispered, "And I dearly love my children. Trust in the right people, however, can be a ruler's strongest ally, as I've come to find to be true in my centuries here; and there is no one I trust for my well-being more than my children."

Luciana put a hand over his and it appeared as though Aro had been struck in the chest by an invisible arrow.

"Goodbye my dears." He whipped around, gave a head nod that would have been impossible to see from a human's eye and their group was gone.


	58. Italy Bound

**Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to everybody!**

**Chapter 57**

Seth approached Luciana, who appeared as though she was going to cry. He didn't know if it was sadness, happiness or just raw emotion that was responsible for it, but he wrapped his arms around her and Luciana held strong. She breathed in heavily against him but didn't let a tear fall.

"I wanted to wait to give you your Christmas present until this all passed," he whispered.

Luciana pulled back but held onto him firmly. "What is it?"

Seth reached into the pocket of his jacket and handed Luciana an envelope.

"What's this?"

"Open it," he urged.

Luciana made a tear at the top of the envelope and then pulled out its contents. Her eyes studied what was inside for a moment and then a smile crossed over her face. At the same time, a tear emerged from the inner corners of each of her eyes.

People looked on, and then she hugged Seth hard.

"It's a pair of plane tickets to Italy. I figured we could spend a little time out there."

Luciana laughed and cried, "Are you sure?"

"I think you need this," Seth told her. He glanced at Alice and grinned. "A friend let me borrow some money to rent a villa right in the heart of the city. We'll have our own space but we'll be close to your dad."

"For how long?" She pushed tears away from her eyes.

"A month."

"Are you sure you can make it a month in Volterra?" she began to laugh and then hugged him again.

"You can't deny your roots," Seth said, "Even if they belong to the worlds most ruthless bloodsuckers."

Everyone took a moment to admire the couple before exchanging embraces and 'thank you's' with one another.

"I'm sorry to go so fast," Carlisle took an extra second to speak with Billy, and reached down to shake his hand. "I have to go."

"Go get your wife," Billy said to him.

Carlisle glanced at Masen and hugged him hard.

"Caleb and Delilah should stay," he said, patting his dad on the back in the midst of the embrace. "You, Mom, Alex, Marshall... you should come back."

"We will son. We'll come back here."

Masen nodded and Carlisle took off without another word about it.

Edward looked at Renesme and gave her a big hug, "I'll be back. I'm going with him."

"We're coming with you guys." Jacob stepped forward and Renesme looked back at him for a second and then laughed and nodded.

"Yes."

Edward didn't argue. He smiled and looked around at everyone.

"Go!" Alice urged, "We'll all be here when you get back."

"Come on, Dad." Renesme urged him forward and the three of them took off after Carlisle.

"Alice," Caleb said, "They'll all be okay, right? My mom..."

Alice pulled him against her and nodded. "Everyone will be okay." She glanced over at him, "But I can't promise they'll be back for Christmas."

...

"Aro said to wait," Edward said to Carlisle, "He wasn't lying. Esme will be okay. What if -"

"I can't take any chances." He began to tear at the outer lairs of clothing he had on when they closed in on the water on the east coast of the United States.

"Carlisle, you can't just... swim across the ocean," Jacob said to him.

"He's done it before," Edward said nonchalantly.

Jacob looked to Renesme.

"Carlisle..." Edward more or less forced him to face him.

Carlisle glanced over at him. "We'll meet you all back in Washington, son." He put a hand on his shoulder.

"You could fly-"

"I've got to go. Esme can't be over there unprotected."

Edward nodded.

Carlisle looked over his shoulder and hugged Renesme. "I miss you, kiddo."

"Kiddo," She giggled, and Edward smiled as he knew the choice of words were somewhat out of character for Carlisle.

He grinned and shook Jacob's hand and then patted Edward on the back before descending into the Atlantic Ocean.

The swim across was a lot farther than he anticipated but Carlisle didn't stop. Not that he got tired, but he was hoping to get there far quicker.

The water's temperature, he could tell, was cold. The visibility was poor and every so often he made contact with deep sea creatures. Nothing phased him, but the monotony of it all began to take its toll on his mind.

Carlisle envisioned all the possibilities. He had no idea exactly where Esme would be. Alice had given him an answer that was slightly more vague than he wished to receive.

_Are Aro and Caius and Jane with her now?_ he wondered.

Carlisle tried to make himself go faster. All he saw were different shades of deep blues and grays and greens and black. There was nothing but darkness, and Carlisle tried to push the metaphor out of his mind that he'd just come up with - his life would be a constant parade of darkness, darker than the bottom of the ocean, if he lost Esme.

_I'm not going to lose Esme_, he told himself, _Alice only saw one future - and Esme was safe._

Carlisle decided to appreciate the trust he had for his family. Without the trust there was nothing, and he trusted Alice. Still, there was no denying the uneasy feeling that he knew wouldn't subside until he saw Esme.

With that, he paddled harder and anticipated what he would do when he reached the shores of France.


	59. December 25

**Chapter 58**

When Carlisle surfaced he could see lights in the distance. He wasn't completely sure what city he had wound up in, but he knew he had reached the border of France. All he had to do now was cross through the country and go to Italy.

_Maybe I should have taken Edward's advice and flown_, he thought.

Carlisle felt exhausted. Surely he could run another hundred miles but he was just tired.

All he wanted to do was see Esme. He had to know for certain that she was alright. Alice's reassurance was great, and appreciated, but there was no way he could allow her to be right in the heart of the Volturi coven alone - especially when Aro and the others got back. He would stay with her while she worked on their home and the two of them would leave together. None of his family members had held him back, and so he felt it was safe to assume that Aro wouldn't attempt to punish him for rushing to Esme's side in Volterra.

He breathed in heavily and trudged the rest of the way through the water that began at his neck and slowly descended down to his chest, midsection, knees and ankles. When Carlisle finally reached land it almost felt odd. Being in the water for so long wasn't something he was used to.

He took in a few deep breaths and looked around the small, vacant beach around him. Luckily there weren't many beach goers that time of year, or that time of night, and so he braced himself for a moment as he looked beyond the sand toward a main road and just a little beyond the road there were rows of houses on little streets.

Carlisle figured it was best to travel at night, though he had no idea what time it was. From the collection of lights still on in the homes he could guess it couldn't be _that _late in the evening, as he assumed many people were still awake. It was his best bet to travel by foot at night, particularly in the ragtag shape he was in from swimming across the Atlantic Ocean.

He stared down and studied his appearance and didn't at all care. He would find a wooded area, possibly hunt and be on his way. Carlisle felt as though he could scale the country in one night - or so he hoped. The images he'd created in his own mind of Esme in the swarm of Volturi members almost made him sick, and he tried hard not to think about it. She was a beautiful coy fish in a sea of sharks.

Carlisle was about to crouch and run, but he stopped when he heard his name.

"Carlisle!"

He stopped and let the tense nature of his muscles relax. Down the beach he saw figure heading toward him.

"Esme?" Carlisle stood still and waited, not sure what to think. He even contemplated the image being a mirage after being under water for so long. He knew his mind wasn't as sharp as it typically was.

Esme waved her arms and hurried toward him, toting a white bag in one hand. She let it drop and Carlisle took just a step in her direction before her arms wrapped around him.

Carlisle held her in his arms and hugged her body against his, taking in the scent of her hair and then finally pulled back and kissed her hard until he quite literally felt as if he couldn't breath.

"What are you doing here?" he choked out, kissing her again.

"Alice called and told me where you would surface," she explained, "I wasn't sure I was in the right spot but-"

Carlisle kissed her again, pressing his lips against her and nearly picking her up off the ground. "I can't believe you're here."

"I was okay," she told him, attempting to catch her own breath. "Alice and I..." Esme shook her head, "I'm sorry I lied to you. I know in the past I got mad when you met with Aro without telling me. I didn't want to lie to you, but we knew the plan would work."

Carlisle smiled, and then laughed and kissed Esme again. He kept his arms wrapped around her tightly and breathed heavily against her free flowing hair.

"I'm sorry, Carlisle."

"Don't be sorry," he huffed, and then pulled back to see her face again, "You have no idea the images I was coming up with in my mind. It was my goal a long time ago that you'd never even meet the Volturi... now here you were in the heart of their city."

"Michael came with me."

"Where is he?"

"He went back to see Alex." Esme smiled and pushed his sea swept hair back and then kissed him again. "You swam an ocean for me."

Carlisle managed an exhausted smile and let his eyebrows raise and fall. "I'm glad you're okay."

"How is Caleb?"

"He's fine." Carlisle tucked a few strands of hair behind her ears. "They're staying in Washington."

"So, I've heard." Esme smiled at him and paused for a moment. "God, I love you, Carlisle."

"I love you, too."

"I think I really owe you for all this."

Carlisle shook his head, "Seeing you here is all I needed." He breathed heavily and the two of them stood in silence for a moment.

"Alice booked us two plane tickets back home," Esme told him. "She said all I have to do is log into my email and we can get them. You've got to love technology."

He smiled, "Think they'll let me on like this?"

Esme laughed and looked over her shoulder at the bag she'd dropped. "I took it upon yourself to buy you some clothes."

Carlisle followed her stare and grinned, and then let his forehead drop so it rested on her shoulder.

Esme continued to run her hair through his hair and across his back. "Why don't you get changed and then we'll go?"

He looked up and kissed her again and then nodded. "Okay."

...

Carlisle kept Esme close at to his side as the two of them walked through a Paris airport.

"What time is the flight?" Carlisle asked. He felt around in the pockets of his new pants, "Esme, I don't have identification... or a passport, or-"

She put her hand on the side of his face and then whisked everything out from her purse.

Carlisle felt a slow smile spread on his face, "You really did have this whole thing thought out."

"Sorry," she whispered again, prompting Carlisle to give her another kiss.

Esme removed the phone from her purse, as well. "I actually never looked at the time of the flight," she said, thumbing around the screen before the airline tickets, complete with barcodes, showed up on the screen.

"Twelve o'clock," she said aloud.

Carlisle looked at the time on the top of the phone, "Looks like we have a couple hours to kill."

"More than that."

He looked at her confused and Esme pointed to the time and date, "Twelve o'clock p.m."

"What's the date?" he asked.

"December 25."

"It's Christmas?"

Esme grinned, "Here it is."

"The flight is dated for December 26."

"Noon... tomorrow."

Carlisle thought for a moment and then Esme's phone chimed off.

"It's Alice," she said to him.

Carlisle glanced down at his wife's phone and read the text message.

_Hey Esme. Couldn't book a flight until Dec. 26. Carlisle is there right - still Christmas in Paris!? Don't worry, we've made sure that Marshall got all the gifts you've given him. Enjoy your Christmas in Paris, and oh, you are in room453 at the Hilton right at the airport. It's on Carlisle's credit card so you'll just have to say your names when you check in. :) Enjoy! Merry Christmas._

Esme looked up at him, "Well, we can't say this is a total surprise knowing Alice."

Carlisle began to laugh lightly and looked around at the people coming and going. Far down the opposite end of the place he saw a sign that read 'Hilton' in bright red lettering.

"Come on," he pulled her with him by the hand. "We've got about fifteen hours until our plane takes off."


	60. Fifteen Hours

**Chapter 59**

Esme laid on top of Carlisle in the luxury suite that Alice had booked for them. They had called just about every family member, let them know they were alright and vice versa, before finding comfort in the arms of one another.

Carlisle traced up and down Esme's back with his fingertips. He let out a breath, "I can't say this is where I thought I'd be a few hours ago."

Esme brought her lips down to meet his. "I didn't know if you'd be angry with me for doing what I did."

He get a closed-mouth smile. "Never."

"Do you remember when you and Edward went to meet Aro without telling Bella and me?" Esme asked. A guilty smirk began to cross her face, "And I was so mad at you, I took our bed out of our room."

Carlisle's chest rose and fell as he laughed out loud. "I do remember that, yes."

Esme scrunched her nose, "I suppose this isn't any different... so I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize." He ran a hand through her hair, "Though I do suppose you've gotten just the opposite than I did for... not telling the whole truth."

"You can remove the bed from the room," she told him playfully.

Carlisle laughed lightly again. "I don't think that's a good idea." He guided her lips back to his and failed to break the kiss as he flipped their positions so he was on top of her. "You're the bravest woman I know."

"Hardly," she said quietly, running her hands down the bare skin of his back.

"What you did was dangerous, but you helped solve a huge problem. You saved lives. Aro doesn't have his sights on Caleb anymore because of you."

"You confronted Aro face to face," Esme reminded him.

"With two wolf packs and our family to back me up."

She grinned and looked down, and then back up at him.

"I win," Carlisle teased, rubbing his nose against hers before connecting their lips again.

"Okay," Esme whispered back. She felt his tongue reconnect with hers and closed her eyes when Carlisle's pressed shut. She pressed the insides of her thighs against the outside of his hips and held him against her as tightly as possible.

Carlisle trailed his lips down Esme's neck and Esme settled her head back comfortably on the perfectly fluffed pillows.

The conflict was over. It was still Christmas in Paris. Tomorrow she would see her children and the rest of her family - all safe from the wrath of the Volturi. The next fifteen hours she got to spend with the man who had crossed an ocean to protect her.


	61. One Hundred More

**Chapter 60**

_Five Days Later_

Alice whisked around the old Cullens home in Forks. Candles were placed strategically around the downstairs rooms. Trays of food were set up along the kitchen countertops and music played in the background.

"Turn it to the channel where the ball drops!" Alice urged, waving her hand at Jasper, who stood in from the of the television with their daughter playing an apocalyptic-themed game on the Xbox.

"Just a minute," he called back, furiously pelting the remote with this thumbs.

Nicole laughed as she struggled to keep up.

"Are Ememtt, Rosalie and the kids coming down?" Esme asked, "I know they were thinking about it." She removed a casserole from the oven and placed it on the counter next to a display of other foods.

"Well, they certainly had a difficult time making up their minds," Alice said. She placed wine glasses upside down on the island in the kitchen. "But, it appears that they're staying in Alaska."

She smiled, "I think Maddy needs their support right now."

Alice nodded in agreement.

"What time is it?" Esme asked.

She checked the thin, silver watch on her wrist, "Seven. Nessy and everyone will probably be here soon.'

"Is this enough food?"

"Enough for a pack of wolves." Alice looked up at Esme and the two of them shared a quick laugh. She glanced in at Jasper and Nicole again, "Guys..."

"It's only seven, Mom," Nicole argued, "Give us a minute. The ball doesn't drop for another five hours."

"The girl's got a point." Masen swiftly entered the kitchen and popped a chip in his mouth with a grin, only to spit it out in the garbage a second later.

"_That's_ attractive," Alice said, shaking her head.

Esme made her way around the island and hugged her son. "I'm so glad we're all together."

"Me, too." He smiled, "Did, uh, you make that stuff that Leah likes?"

She laughed and ran a hand through his hair, "Yes."

"She still thinks you're _this_ big," Alice whispered to Masen, putting her hand down so it was only a few feet off the ground.

"I know," he whispered back.

"Marshall isn't even that small anymore." Esme shook her head. "He'll be six feet tall by the summer... watch."

"Ehh, just have another one," Alice joked with a shrug, and then began laughing to herself.

"Marshall might be it for a while." She smiled, "At least for a few decades."

"You say that now..."

Esme laughed and looked at Masen with a big smile. "I can't believe how quickly you all have grown."

"I know the feeling," he said with a sigh, "Cassandra looks more like my sister than my daughter. Soon she'll be having kids..." He smirked at Esme, "And that'll make you a _great_ grandmother."

"Fine by me." Esme laughed again.

"I didn't want to bring it up in front of dad, but how did the Volturi project come out?" Masen asked, "I mean are you going to be on one of those extreme home makeover shows?"

Alice turned to him and then let out a loud laugh. Esme snickered, too, and sighed.

"I'll have to say it was quite the adrenaline rush to be there." She swallowed hard, "I don't think I could get used to feeling like that all the time. It appeared as good as new, but I just hope Aro stays true to his end of the bargain you all made with him."

"Lucy and Seth are on their way to Italy now," Masen said, "Leah's nervous."

"As she should be," Esme said, "She's his big sister."

"Yeah..." Masen eyed a bottle of wine they'd put out and walked over to pour himself a glass.

"Are _you_ planning on having any more children?" Esme asked him.

A slow smile spread on his face and he took a sip from the glass while eying his mother. "Not at the moment Grandma."

She smiled. "Just curious."

"Caleb is who you need to watch out for."

"What? Did he say something?"

"No, but him and Delilah..." Masen paused with a grin, "I'll just stop right there."

"I'm waiting for Alex and Michael," Alice said, "Or Will and Maddy."

"Not Nicole and Salvatore?" Nicole called out from the living room.

"Not yet!"

Nicole laughed and Alice turned to Esme.

"Alex wants to travel with Michael," Esme said, "With all that has been going on, and our constant moving around they haven't had the chance to go and do that on their own. I think once that path has been crossed they'll have the talk about children."

"First guest will be here in five or six minutes," Alice said, looking around, "Is there anything left to do?"

"Live band?" Masen joked.

"If I'd had more time to book one..." she teased back, and then whistled, "Come on down and join the party everybody! Quileutes will be here in a few minutes!"

Slowly people began making their way onto the first level of the house, and just as expected only a few minutes passed before the doorbell rang.

...

"Alice, I have to say this has been a great New Year's Even," Edward said to his sister. He looked around. "Does it feel weird at all to be back here?"

"A little." She shrugged, "But it feels like home."

Edward nodded, "Yeah." He looked over near the kitchen where Renesme played with Charlie and Bella shared a laugh with Jacob. "We've come along way."

Alice raised her glass, "To Hell and back."

Edward tapped his glass against hers and then sighed and sank bank into the couch.

"Is there enough food for everyone?" Esme asked. She pointed to Renesme's plate, "Can I get you anything else? Jacob?"

"No, I'm fine." He assured her with a grin, "I may go back for fifths in a few minutes, though."

Esme smiled and tapped Charlie on the nose lightly before finding Marshall. "Are you doing okay, honey?"

Marshall nodded and have a thumbs up.

"You don't need to hunt, do you?"

He shook his head. "No. I'm fine. Me and the guys caught some big cats last night."

Esme laughed, "Big cats?"

"Mountain lions." He spread his hands far apart.

"Did you catch your own?"

Marshall nodded. "Easy. I've gotten bigger ones too." He looked over at Michael, who waving him over next to Alice. "Got to go, Mom."

Esme smiled to herself and sighed.

"Hey, can we get some more upbeat songs in here?" Caleb asked, "Mom?" He raised his eyebrows and then smiled, slinging an arm around Delilah.

"Of course." She rounded the corner into a small back room where the stereo sat and filtered into small speakers throughout the living room and kitchen areas that Alice had set up. She placed her hand lightly on Carlisle's back as she walked by where he talked with Billy and Sam.

"Less than two minutes til New Year's!" Nicole called out.

"Come on." Sam waved Billy on and then helped him get into the living room so he could see the television.

Carlisle followed Esme into the other room and she smiled at him. "Just changing the music," she said, "Too dull for Masen and the kids."

"What's this song?" he asked.

Esme leaned her face close to Alice's phone that was perched on top of the player and held the long list of songs. "Breathing by Lifehouse." She shrugged, "I think it's pretty, but..." She reached a hand down to change it, but Carlisle pulled her back and quickly pulled her against him to dance.

Esme laughed lightly and went with his lead, linking one hand with his and the other around the back of his neck and shoulders.

"Caleb can handle one slow song," he said.

"One minute 'til New Years!" Nicole shouted again, "Salvatore get over here!"

Carlisle chuckled and pulled Esme closer so the side of his face touched hers.

"Shouldn't we join them?" she whispered in his ear.

"Nah..." He tightened his grip on her lower back and then kissed her on the cheek.

Esme smiled and closed her eyes while they danced. She sighed, "Whenever we dance like this I can't help but think of our wedding night... seeing our wedding wasn't exactly like the ones today, we didn't have a reception to dance at."

"Nope." He breathed into her ear, "I didn't mind our first dance being just you and I, though."

"Right by the ocean." Esme grinned and Carlisle pulled back to give her a kiss. She put a finger to his lips to stop him, still smiling, "Wait."

He raised his eyebrows and listened. "What?"

Esme waited a moment before she heard the kids begin the ten-second countdown.

Carlisle caught up and smirked, looking Esme in the eyes as she continued to smile wide. He held up fingers for the last three, two one and then Esme leaned in and kissed him.

"Happy New Year," she said in a break in their embrace.

Carlisle quickly found her lips again, but then snickered and said it back. "Happy New Year."

The noise level raised from the other room, between the elated shouts and noisemakers. The two of them shared a smile.

"You know, we're pushing a hundred years together," Esme told him. "Only a few more to go..."

"Really?" he teased, making her chuckle again.

"Mmm-hmm."

"I'll have to have Alice help me start planning something now," Carlisle told her, "I can't screw up our one hundredth anniversary."

Esme laughed again, "As long as you're there that's impossible."

Carlisle grinned and then kissed her once more. "I realize we don't have any glasses, or drinks, but can we toast to that?"

She nodded, "To one-hundred years."

"And one-hundred more."


	62. The End - Next Story

**Sorry for delay, but just had to come up with a story idea...**

**Winter Moon is the next story taking place to begin in Denali.**

**fanfiction dot net/s/11736537/1/Winter-Moon**

**THANKS AGAIN FOR READING! :)**


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